SEARCA in the News

Los Baños, Laguna―Professor Joselito G. Florendo, outgoing vice president for Planning and Finance of the University of the Philippines System, has been appointed as deputy director for Administration of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture effective Dec. 1, 2019. Hosted by the Philippine government on the campus of UP Los Baños, SEARCA is mandated to strengthen institutional capacities toward agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia through its programs on graduate education and institutional development, research and development, and knowledge management. Florendo is an associate professor at the UP Diliman Cesar E.A. Virata School…

Recognizing the importance of integrating research, effective communication and science-based regulatory frameworks in harnessing the full potential of agri-biotechnology to fuel sustainable agricultural development, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) partnered with the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Malaysian Biotechnology Information Center and Monash University in organizing the Asian Short Course on Agri-biotechnology, Biosafety Regulation and Communication. Now on its second year, the program aims to enable participants to have a better understanding of the entire value chain of living modified organisms (LMOs), as well as national and international…

The following link will take you to INQUIRER.net: Romancing agriculturehttps://opinion.inquirer.net/125728/romancing-agriculture

Professor Joselito G. Florendo, outgoing Vice President for Planning and Finance of the University of the Philippines (UP) System, has been appointed as Deputy Director for Administration of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Hosted by the Philippine government on the campus of UP Los Baños, SEARCA is mandated to strengthen institutional capacities toward agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia through its programs on graduate education and institutional development, research and development, and knowledge management. Florendo is an Associate Professor at the UP Diliman (UPD) Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business. Having…

Economists and rice sector leaders have pushed for mixed policy recommendations in light of the Rice Tarification Law (RTL), pressing for sustained implementation yet strong and "guaranteed" farmer support. Otherwise, they said RTL may turn to be "disastrous" for the Philippines. This has been raised during the "Regional Implications in the Philippines' RTL" forum recently organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). "The challenges we always face every cropping season relative to systemic barriers to farmers' income were not addressed head on in the RTL," said Cresencio C. Paez, director of Asian…

Los Baños, Laguna—Some 25 nationals from eight Asian counties, both from public and private sectors, have converged at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture to participate in this year's Asian Short Course on Agribiotechnology. According to SEARCA, the program aims to enable the participants from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam to have a better understanding of the entire value chain of living modified organisms (LMOs) as well as national and international legal instruments regarding LMOs. SEARCA has partnered in organizing the Asian Short Course on Agribiotechnology, Biotechnology Regulation, and…

ECONOMISTS and rice industry leaders are pushing for mixed policy recommendations, pressing the national government for sustained implementation of Republic Act (RA) 11203, or the "Rice Tariffication Law (RTL)," with strong and guaranteed support for affected farmers across the country. To prevent the government's tarrification program for the rice industry to be "disastrous," they said there is a need for safety nets for the protection of farmers, which they claim "have not been installed as evidenced by farmers' poor plight from palay's (unmilled rice) collapsing price." The call was made during the "Regional Implications in the Philippines' RTL" forum organized…

The German Embassy in the Philippines awarded master’s and PhD scholarships on agriculture courses to 11 Southeast Asians, three of which are Filipinos. The scholarships were granted under the In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) through the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). DAAD is one of SEARCA’s staunchest and longest partners in its human resource development program. Since 1975, more than 380 DAAD-SEARCA scholarships have been awarded, 90 percent of which have been completed. The scholarship certificates for academic year 2019 to 2020 at the University of…

Los Baños, Laguna—Masters and doctorate scholarships to three Filipinos, along with eight Southeast Asians, were awarded by the German Embassy in the Philippines under the In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme by the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst or DAAD). The scholarship was through the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) based at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. The Filipino scholars are Edchelle S. Flores, pursuing MS in Community Development, and Marla V. Relloso and Zyra May H. Centino, both pursuing PhDs in Agricultural Economics. According to Dr. Glenn B.…

MANILA, Philippines — Grow Asia, a farm production platform, is benefitting 117,000 smallholders in coconut, coffee, corn, fisheries, and vegetables, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) said. SEARCA, through Grow Asia, has supported the development of organized and skilled farmers. Grow Asia has demonstrated farming models that now integrate small farm owners into the big ASEAN value chain. ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) co-founded Grow Asia with the World Economic Forum. Grow Asia-Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Development has built synergies between different value chain players in agriculture. It facilitates delivery of…