SEARCA in the News

LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA — Dalawampu’t pitong incoming scholars ng Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) mula sa Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pilipinas, at Timor-Leste ang nakatapos sa limang linggong synchronous consultation program na naglalayong palakasin ang kanilang kumpiyansa sa akademiko, panlipunan, propesyonal, at intercultural communication. Isinagawa ang online sessions tuwing Biyernes mula Hulyo 3 hanggang 31, 2026 sa pamamagitan ng Zoom, bilang dagdag sa 2026 YES! Your English Sidekick Micro-credential (YES! MC)—isang self-paced online program para sa mga incoming scholar na hindi native English speakers. Sa programa, nagsanay ang mga iskolar sa mga sitwasyong… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — Malaki ang potensiyal ng mga high-value crop tulad ng ube upang mapataas ang kita ng maliliit na magsasaka at mapalakas ang kanilang kakayahang harapin ang epekto ng climate change. Ito ang binigyang-diin sa Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) ng Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) noong Hulyo 28, 2026. Ayon kay Joseph Manicad, direktor ng High Value Crops Development Program ng Department of Agriculture (DA), mahalaga ang crop diversification, climate-smart technologies at value-adding upang mapalakas ang kita at katatagan ng mga magsasaka. Kabilang sa mga estratehiya ang pagproseso ng… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The government must expand how it evaluates and promotes corn varieties as farmer preference should carry equal weight with agronomic performance. This was the recommendation of the latest policy brief from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) titled “Moving Beyond Yield: Institutionalizing Participatory Varietal Selection for Farmer-Preferred Maize in Laguna, Philippines,” based on field research in Victoria, Laguna conducted by Mark Anthony Parducho with support from SEARCA’s Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT). Co-authors are Ayn Kristina Beltran and Lorna Matanguihan of the University of the Philippines Los… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — Eighteen undergraduate agribusiness students from Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI) gained a deeper understanding of how science, innovation, policy, and partnerships can drive agricultural transformation during their visit to the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 10 August 2026. The visit formed part of Tokyo NODAI’s Philippine Field Practice, now in its 27th year, and reflected the enduring partnership between Tokyo NODAI and SEARCA. It also coincided with the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan, with 2026 officially designated as the… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — Strengthening climate resilience and improving smallholder farm profitability require stronger support for high-value crops, diversified production systems, and science-based crop improvement, experts emphasized during the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) held on 28 July 2026. The seminar, themed “Resilient and Profitable Crops under Climate Change: What Works for Smallholder Farmers?,” highlighted practical ways to help farmers respond to stronger typhoons, prolonged droughts, floods, El Niño, pest outbreaks, and rising production uncertainty. Mr. Joseph Manicad, Director of the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP)… Read more

Twenty-seven incoming Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) scholars from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste completed a five-week synchronous consultation program designed to strengthen their confidence in academic, social, professional, and intercultural communication. Held every Friday from 3 to 31 July 2026 via Zoom, the sessions complemented the 2026 YES! Your English Sidekick Micro-credential (YES! MC), an online asynchronous program offered to incoming SEARCA scholars who are non-native English speakers. While the self-paced modules focused on foundational skills in grammar, writing, and reading, the synchronous sessions provided scholars with guided opportunities… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — A new SEARCA policy brief urges agricultural agencies, local governments, and research institutions to adopt more farmer-centered approaches to selecting and promoting maize varieties, emphasizing that yield alone should not determine which crops reach farms and markets. Titled “Moving Beyond Yield: Institutionalizing Participatory Varietal Selection for Farmer-Preferred Maize in Laguna, Philippines,” the policy brief highlights the value of participatory varietal selection (PVS) in ensuring that crop promotion programs reflect farmers’ real needs, preferences, production conditions, and market opportunities. The brief is based on research conducted in Victoria, Laguna, where rice and vegetable farmers exploring maize for… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — Long prized as a staple in Filipino culinary tradition, purple yam — locally known as ube — is emerging as a key driver of agricultural growth and climate resilience for smallholder farmers. Insights featured in the Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) show that while global and domestic demand for ube continues to surge, local supply struggles to keep pace, creating a significant opportunity to transform traditional root-crop farming into a highly profitable enterprise. Market demand remains strong, with ube exports… Read more

The 20th SEARCA Photo Contest invites Southeast Asian photographers to submit original photographs under the theme “Food for All, Food for the Future.” The contest focuses on visual stories showing how people, communities, agriculture, markets, innovation, climate resilience, and women contribute to food systems that are nourishing, safe, accessible, resilient, and prepared for the future. The 20th SEARCA Photo Contest is a regional photography competition highlighting agriculture, food systems, rural development, and the people who help ensure food security across Southeast Asia. The 20th edition marks an important milestone for the contest, which has become a platform for photographers to… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna—Itinampok ang mga oportunidad para mapalawak ang kalakalan sa agrikultura, mapalakas ang bilateral trade, at mapalalim ang akademikong ugnayan ng Ukraine at Pilipinas sa ikalimang sesyon ng Meet the Diplomat Series ng Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) noong Hulyo 29, 2026. Panauhing pandangal si Her Excellency Yuliia Fediv, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary ng Ukraine sa Pilipinas, na naglahad ng kalagayan, kultura at mga oportunidad sa ekonomiya ng Ukraine sa ilalim ng temang “Between the Skies and Planes.” Ayon kay Fediv, nananatiling “breadbasket of Europe” ang Ukraine sa kabila ng mga pagkagambala… Read more