SEARCA in the News

BUTUAN CITY- Nagpadayag ang Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) nga ang padayon nga paglambo sa sektor sa mananap ug manok makatabang aron mabawi ang pagkunhod sa produksyon sa agrikultura karong tuiga, taliwala sa "triple shocks" nga giatubang sa Pilipinas tungod sa pagsaka sa presyo sa lana ug enerhiya, mas taas nga gasto sa abono, ug ang umalabot nga El Niño. Gipasiugda ni SEARCA Director Mercedita Sombilla nga kinahanglan padayonon sa gobyerno ang mga interbensiyon sa mnanap ug manok aron mapalig-on pa ang pagtubo sa sektor, ug dugangan usab ang suporta sa tanom pinaagi… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Los Baños, Laguna, highlighted their green projects to visiting women leaders from Vietnam on May 8 to support the sustainable transformation of agricultural systems across Southeast Asia. Maria Carla Dolores, SEARCA Research and Thought Leadership senior program associate, presented AquAsean, which aims to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and contribute to the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector in Southeast Asia. Emil John Cabrera, SEARCA Emerging Innovation for Growth Department program head, presented the Rice Straw Bioenergy Hub (RSBH), which transforms rice straw into valuable… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the German Agricultural Society (DLG), is gathering students, researchers, faculty members, startups, engineers, developers and innovators across Southeast Asia to participate in the Agritechnica Hackathon and compete for the SEARCA Agrinnovate Farmer-First Award. The hackathon will take place during the Agrinnovate Southeast Asia Summit at Agritechnica Asia 2026 from May 20 to May 22, 2026, at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre in Thailand. According to SEARCA, the summit will gather regional and global leaders in smart farming, digital… Read more

Deadline: 15-Jun-2026 The IDA Program is an institutional strengthening initiative aimed at improving the academic, research, and governance capacity of higher education institutions in Southeast Asia. It is not open to individuals and is implemented only through selected institutional partnerships with SEARCA. Key Objectives The program focuses on: Strengthening institutional capacity in agricultural education Enhancing research and innovation systems Supporting sustainable agricultural transformation Developing faculty and staff competencies Modernizing curricula and training systems How the Program Works SEARCA identifies and engages partner institutions in Southeast Asia Institutional diagnosis is conducted to assess needs and gaps Joint planning is done between… Read more

Stakeholders from the Philippine mango industry endorsed a policy resolution seeking expanded science-based support services for growers, highlighting the continued collaboration among government agencies, research institutions, and industry groups to strengthen the sector's long-term competitiveness. During the first semestral meeting of the National Mango Action Team (NMAT) under the National Sectoral Committee on Fruits and Vegetables, participants adopted a resolution recommending that the Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management Regional Laboratories, provide free soil sampling services for mango growers and farms nationwide. Industry representatives emphasized the value of soil analysis in improving orchard management… Read more

A SERIES of policy briefs recently released by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) provide evidence-based recommendations aimed at strengthening regional agriculture productivity, inclusivity, and resilience. The latest installment of the SEARCA Policy Brief Series also examines issues affecting farming communities in the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam, and outlines practical and scalable policy solutions for governments, institutions and development stakeholders. Two of the briefs focus on the Philippines, with one of them focusing on the use of drones. Titled "Making Agricultural Drones Accessible to Philippine Rice Farmers," the brief examines how drones can… Read more

Abstract High-yielding rice landraces that contributed substantially to historical population expansions were widely cultivated across Asia. These landraces are generally believed to have been Champa rice, which originated in present-day Vietnam. Historical records indicate that Champa rice was disseminated to southern China in the eleventh century and subsequently transmitted to medieval western Japan. Contrary to the recent view that Champa rice was derived from the Aus group, our extensive molecular phylogenetic and population genomic analyses indicate that currently available Vietnamese and Japanese Champa rice candidates are associated with the Indica group. Furthermore, although the Japanese landraces were expected to be… Read more

THE Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) has affirmed its participation in the newly launched Consortium for Agricultural Policy Research Initiatives (CAPRI), a regional platform aimed at strengthening collaborative and evidence-based agricultural policy research across Southeast Asia. CAPRI was formally launched during its onboarding workshop, convened by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), on April 27 to 28, 2026. The event brought together agricultural policy research institutions, development partners and regional organizations from 11 Southeast Asian countries, alongside representatives from Asean and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). Anchored on SEARCA's… Read more

THE PHILIPPINES' chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year will be placed in the spotlight during the country's premier business gathering, the BusinessWorld Economic Forum 2026, happening May 18 at the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Manila in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. With the theme "Advancing the ASEAN Agenda: Turning Regional Vision to Corporate Action," the forum is expected to bring together policymakers, economists, top executives and business leaders from various industries for discussions on how the Philippines can use its ASEAN chairmanship to boost economic growth and strengthen its role in the region. The… Read more

LAST May 8, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), based at Los Banos, Laguna, held a forum on how to "effectively respond to the triple shocks impacting the Philippine agriculture sector." Basically, it was the same issues that I wrote about in an earlier column titled "Triple Threat." The triple shocks referred to are skyrocketing fuel costs, rising fertilizer prices, and the strong El Niño predicted to hit the country the second half of this year that can last till early next year. The SEARCA forum was convened by its director, Dr. Merceditas… Read more