THE Department of Education (DepEd) has recognized the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) for its sustained support in advancing quality education through agriculture-based learning programs.
DepEd's acknowledgment affirms SEARCA's position as a trusted partner in linking classrooms to farms and ensuring that education reforms also translate into opportunities for Filipino learners in the agriculture sector.
The collaboration between SEARCA and DepEd covers several initiatives that use school and home gardens as living laboratories.
The School-Plus-Home Gardens Project (S+HGP) provides students with hands-on experience in growing food while learning about nutrition and sustainable practices.
The project extends to offshoot programs such as the School-Plus-Home Gardens cum Biodiversity Enhancement and Enterprise (SHGBEE) in Palawan, Philippines and Cambodia, and the School Edible Landscaping for Entrepreneurship (SEL4E) in Rizal, Philippines.
These programs aim to improve nutrition, strengthen appreciation for agriculture and biodiversity, and encourage agri-entrepreneurship among learners. They also include capacity-building for educators to deliver context-based, learner-centered instruction.
The partnership has also expanded into technology-driven education.
In DepEd schools in Nueva Ecija, agri-robotics training has been introduced to expose students to the application of robotics and engineering in farming.
The initiative seeks to present agriculture as a field that integrates science, technology, and practical skills.
SEARCA and DepEd also signed an agreement for a scoping study for micro-credentials in Southeast Asia covering Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.
The study is aligned with DepEd's 7-7-7 flagship programs under the Philippine SEAMEO Council Presidency and examines how micro-credentials can support flexible learning pathways in agriculture and related sectors.
SEAMEOis the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.
Recently, DepEd and SEARCA also co-hosted the dialogue "From Farms to Classrooms: Nourishing Futures Together" in Batangas, Philippines.
The discussion convened educators, agricultural cooperatives, and local policymakers to explore how local agriculture can strengthen school nutrition programs and support DepEd's vision of universal school feeding.
In line with its mandate and its 12th Five-Year Development Plan titled "Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia or SUSTAIN Southeast Asia," SEARCA is committed to engaging youth in agriculture by supporting the integration of agriculture into basic education.
The center also focuses on equipping teachers to connect classroom learning to real-life agricultural practices. SEARCA said that it champions reforms in agricultural education to keep curricula relevant, responsive, and future-ready.