SEARCA in the News

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — Five distinguished experts from universities across Southeast Asia have been awarded the SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair for Academic Year 2026–2027, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to research, instruction, and innovation in support of agricultural and rural development in the region. The SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair Award is an annual recognition given to outstanding academics who have made significant contributions to Sustaining Transformation through Agricultural Innovation (SUSTAIN) in Southeast Asia. Since the academic year 2012–2013, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has conferred the award on 72 highly accomplished… Read more

FIFTEEN staff members of Bahay ni Maria in Laguna attended a refresher training on sustainable home gardening conducted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) last June 22, 2026. The aim was to equip new personnel with skills to maintain the site's garden. The session at the Bahay ni Maria, which shelters abandoned elderly persons and children with special needs in Calamba, Laguna, was led by Anna Gale Vallez, program specialist at the SEARCA Research and Thought Leadership Department (RTLD), along with Sister Marie Sosoban of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of… Read more

LOS BAÑOS / ILOILO, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) have formalized their partnership through a virtual signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 29 May 2026 via Zoom. The MOU establishes a framework for cooperation in academic, educational, and research initiatives, including joint research projects, scholarships, training, and the exchange of information and scientific materials. It aligns the partnership with SEARCA's 12th Five-Year Development Plan: Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia (SUSTAIN Southeast Asia), reflecting the institutions' shared commitment… Read more

Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is rolling out a new online English-support program for its incoming scholars for Academic Year 2026-2027, aiming to better equip them for the rigors of graduate study at English-medium universities. Through its Education and Collective Learning Department – Graduate Scholarship and Institutional Development Unit (ECLD-GSIDU), SEARCA will offer the YES! (Your English Sidekick) Micro-credential to all incoming SEARCA scholars as part of the Center's enhanced Graduate-on-Time Program. Developed by the College of Development Communication (CDC) of the University of the Philippines Los… Read more

CALAMBA, Laguna, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) conducted a refresher training on sustainable home gardening techniques for staff members of Bahay ni Maria, a home for abandoned elderly persons and children with special needs in Calamba, Laguna. Led by Anna Gale Vallez, Program Specialist at SEARCA's Research and Thought Leadership Department (RTLD), the activity capacitated 15 young staff members and Sr. Marie Sosoban of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Fatima in practical and sustainable approaches to household-level food production. The session covered organic farming, bio-intensive gardening, establishing a… Read more

AS I write this column, there are hopes that a peace agreement between the United States and Iran will hold as the global food system took a lot of beating from higher fertilizer and transport costs due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. And if peace prevails in the Middle East, the nations and regions whose food production systems absorb shocks should waste no time in making their agriculture sectors more resilient and sustainable. This includes the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that, thankfully, already has the ASEAN Food Security Alliance (AFSA) created in 2024 through the… Read more

The Consortium for Agricultural Policy Research Initiatives (CAPRI) held its onboarding workshop on 27-28 April 2026 at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), bringing together representatives from national research institutions, development partners, and regional organizations, including the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), to strengthen collaboration on agricultural policy research across Southeast Asia. SEARCA Center Director Dr. Mercedita Sombilla emphasized the need for evidence-based policymaking to address interconnected agricultural challenges, including labor outmigration, an aging farming population, climate risks, and underinvestment in technology and infrastructure. She described these issues as "systemic, complex, and mutually… Read more

ALABANG — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) helped organize a conference on how to measure whether science and technology projects are working. The 2nd Science and Technology Impact Assessment Conference (IACon) 2026 was held May 25-26, 2026, at the Acacia Hotel here. It was led by the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Public Affairs and Development, together with the Department of Science and Technology through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research… Read more

For 60 years, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture or SEARCA has been transforming the agricultural landscape in the region towards greater productivity. As it moves onward to the next five years, it seeks "to reimagine agriculture as a driver of prosperity, equity, and environmental stewardship across the Southeast Asian region". Yesterday, with a select group of media invitees, SEARCA Executive Director Mercedita Sombilla bares its 12th Five-Year Development Plan or FYDP anchoring on the theme SUSTAIN or Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation, directed towards its own version of 4Ps as outcomes… Read more

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… Read more