SEARCA in the News

Ang Unibersidad ng Guelph (U of G), isang nangungunang institusyong pananaliksik sa Canada, ay nakipag-ugnayan kamakailan sa Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) sa Pilipinas. Ang pagbisita na ito ay naglalayong tuklasin ang mga oportunidad para sa pagtutulungan na nakatuon sa pagsulong ng masustenableng agrikultura sa Timog Silangang Asya. Si Helen Hambly mula sa Capacity Development and Extension Office ng U of G, kasama ang mag-aaral ng master's na si Francis Jabile, ay nagpakita ng mga potensyal na paraan ng pagpopondo sa mga kinatawan ng SEARCA sa Laguna. Ang mga pondo na ito ay… Read more

A professor and a student of the University of Guelph (U of G) in Canada recently visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in the Philippines to explore potential areas of collaboration. U of G is a public research university in Guelph, Ontario. In their visit to SEARCA in Laguna, Helen Hambly of U of G's Capacity Development and Extension Office and Francis Jabile, a master's student, presented several funding opportunities for Southeast Asian countries. The available funding grants must have nature-based solutions and socially inclusive approaches. "U of G actively supports research… Read more

The following link will take you to INQUIRER.net:The Philippines must eat its vegetableshttps://business.inquirer.net/519067/the-philippines-must-eat-its-vegetables… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The first woman to lead the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in its nearly 60-year history has decades of experience in agricultural policy and regional development. The appointment of Mercedita Sombilla as the new SEARCA Center Director, effective April 1, 2025, follows a distinguished career marked by thought leadership and significant contributions to agricultural economics, public policy and regional development. In her acceptance speech during the SEARCA Leadership Turnover Ceremony held on Mar. 25, 2025, Sombilla expressed her sincere appreciation for the opportunity to steer the Center and build… Read more

Rice is not just a crop—it is the backbone of economies, cultures, and food security across Asia. In Japan, a recent rice shortage has brought this reality into sharp focus. Prices have spiked, supermarket shelves are being emptied, and public concern is rising. The causes—climate-induced weather disruptions, a surge in tourism-driven demand, and speculative stockpiling. In response to the crisis, the Japanese government has begun auctioning off rice from national reserves. The situation resonates deeply with neighboring ASEAN countries, where rice plays a similarly vital role. It was in this context that policymakers, government officials, and representatives from Micro, Small… Read more

(Part 2) Digital transformation is part of what is known as the Industrial Revolution (IR) 4.0, which includes, among others, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, digitalization and data analytics. It must be pointed out, however, that the Philippines has failed to complete IR 1.0 (the Age of Mechanization), IR 2.0 (the Age of Electrification), and IR 3.0 (the Electronic Age). Because of serious errors in economic policy making of the Government over the last 50 years, the first industrial revolution (which first happened in England in 1790-1830) was never completed in the Philippine economy because in the… Read more

ネイチャーベースのカーボンクレジット創出販売事業を展開するGreen Carbon株式会社（代表取締役：大北潤、以下：Green Carbon（読み；グリーンカーボン））は、東南アジア地域における持続可能な農業の推進及び農業由来のカーボンクレジット創出に向けて、東南アジア教育大臣機構（SEAMEO）傘下の東南アジア地域農学高等教育研究センター（以下SEARCA※１）とMOU（以下、本MOU）を締結したことをお知らせします。 本MOUに基づき、と自然由来のカーボンクレジットのプロジェクト開発における協力を推進していくと共に、土壌炭素貯留を促進するカーボンファーミング※2に注力し、カーボンクレジット創出を目指します。… Read more

The following link will take you to INQUIRER.net:BIZ BUZZ: DA execs take on new roleshttps://plus.inquirer.net/business/biz-buzz-da-execs-take-on-new-roles… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is pleased to announce the launch of three regional training programs and one international conference in 2025. These initiatives aim to empower faculty and staff from higher education institutions, extension agencies, government and private sector institutions, and civil society organizations (CSOs) across Southeast Asia. The programs and conference focus on enhancing leadership, innovation, and development within the agriculture sector. Here are the upcoming events: 1. Leadership Development Program for Higher Education Institutions in Southeast Asia (LDP-HEIs in SEA) Theme: "Designing and Leading Your University to the Desired… Read more

MANILA, Philippines — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has appointed Mercedita Sombilla, a former agriculture undersecretary, as its 12th director and its first female head in nearly 60 years. Sombilla's three-year term as director of one of the leading non-profit organizations in agriculture in the region started on April 1. SEARCA noted that Sombilla's appointment comes after her distinguished public service career. Sombilla served as an undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture during the initial years of the current administration. Sombilla has been a long-standing policy advocate at the National Economic and… Read more