SEARCA in the News

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—An important window of opportunity for a healthy and productive adult life lies with basic education according to a study presented at the SEARCA Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) held on 24 September 2025. Nutritionist-dietician Ma. Cristina Sison, who co-authored the study "Youth Engagement in Transforming the Food System to Address Malnutrition in the Philippines" published in the 20th anniversary issue of the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD), brought to the discussion table a crucial yet often overlooked role of nutrition in economic development, especially among the youth. Stressing the link between good nutrition with… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is proud to announce the opening of nominations for the Outstanding SEARCA Scholarship Alumni (OSSA) 2026. This prestigious award recognizes the exceptional contributions of SEARCA scholarship alumni/alumnae who have completed their Master's or PhD degrees and made significant impacts in sustainable agricultural and rural development (ARD) within the region. The OSSA 2026 program aims to highlight the achievements of individuals who embody SEARCA's core values and philosophy, demonstrating excellence in their respective professional fields. The award seeks to celebrate leaders and innovators who have emerged from SEARCA's… Read more

A new study underscores the necessity of strengthening nutrition literacy and agricultural life skills in the education of Filipino youth to secure a healthy and productive future generation. This was the main message presented during the SEARCA Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) on September 24, 2025. In her presentation, nutritionist-dietician Ma. Cristina Sison, co-author of the study "Youth Engagement in Transforming the Food System to Address Malnutrition in the Philippines," emphasized that youth play a vital role in linking robust food production systems with good nutrition and overall economic development. "Our youth today will be the future experts and… Read more

Nagsama-sama ang mga pangunahing tauhan sa larangan ng agham, regulasyon, at media sa isang forum noong Oktubre 14, 2025 sa Century Park Hotel, Maynila, upang pagtibayin ang ugnayan at suporta para sa patakaran at komunikasyon sa bioteknolohiya sa bansa. Ang forum na pinangasiwaan ng Science Communicators Philippines (SciCommPH), CropLife Philippines, at ng Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) ay layong pasiglahin ang dayalogo ukol sa pagsasaliksik, regulasyon, at paggamit ng bioteknolohiya sa Pilipinas. Sa kanyang mensahe, binigyang-diin ni Dr. Ruby Roan Cristobal, Pangulo ng SciCommPH, ang mahalagang papel ng bioteknolohiya sa seguridad sa pagkain… Read more

Ipinakilala ng Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) ang kanilang makabagong konsepto ng "Dayami Hub" sa idinaos na Agrifuture Conference and Exhibition 2025 dito sa Bangkok noong Septyembre 23–24, 2025. Ang kumperensya, na inorganisa ng German Agricultural Society (DLG Asia Pacific), ay nagtipon ng mahigit 300 na kalahok mula sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno, pribadong sektor, at mga grupo ng sustainability mula sa 20 bansa sa Timog-Silangang Asya. Tampok sa tema ng okasyon ang "Clean Practices and Green Innovations for a Sustainable Agri-Food System." Sa isang breakout session na pinangasiwaan ng Food and Agriculture… Read more

The Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE), the country's premiere, biggest, and most dynamic professional group of media and communication educators and practitioners, will celebrate its 50th Anniversary on October 23-25, 2025 with the theme #PACE50: Empowering Voices in Emergent and Divergent Spaces. The three-day event, which is hosted by UP Los Banos, co-presented by SEARCA, and sponsored by PagIBIG Fund will feature the Communication and Media Studies Conference (CMSC) where academic papers of faculty and students will be presented and the PACE of the Future Student Camp (PFSC), which will showcase the best outputs of communication students from its… Read more

The Straw Traktor is a rice farming machine that helps farmers boost rice production by up to 65 percent a year while cutting methane emissions in half. Read more: https://www.agtechnavigator.com/Article/2025/10/21/straw-innovations-aims-to-unlock-value-from-rice-straw-with-new-rice-farming-machine/… Read more

The Philippines' first Rice Straw Bioenergy Hub was officially launched in Pila, Laguna on Oct. 7, bringing together national leaders, local officials, international partners, and farmers to showcase groundbreaking solutions that transform rice straw from waste into valuable products. The event was attended by the Economic and Climate Counsellor Lloyd Cameron of the British Embassy Manila, Regional Executive Director of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region IV-A Fidel L. Libao, Chair of the Committee on Agriculture for the Province of Laguna, Hon. Karla Adajar-Lajara, representatives from other DA agencies, institutional partners, farmer leaders, and local government officials from the province… Read more

THE Blue Environmental Sustainability Gap (Blue ESGap) framework, which is being piloted in the Philippines and Indonesia, is a novel tool that guides the sustainable management of marine and coastal resources. It uses specialized indicators "to monitor biodiversity loss, pollution, overfishing and climate pressures, tying these ecological factors to the economic and social systems that depend on healthy oceans," said Agence Française de Développement environmental economist Oskar Lecuyer. Lecuyer made this presentation during the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture's Agriculture and Development Seminar Series on Sept. 12. He also noted the urgency to move… Read more

PILA, Laguna (PIA) – Laguna's rice farmers will now have a new source of income – and new opportunities for renewable energy – thanks to a Rice Straw Bioenergy Hub (RSBH) that repurposes agricultural waste. Unveiled in Pila town, the "dayami" (rice straw) hub aims to demonstrate innovative technologies that convert rice straw into usable bioenergy products. It promotes sustainable agricultural practices and supports the government's effort to reduce carbon emissions from the open burning of rice straw, a practice that has long affected air quality and contributed to greenhouse gases. For Pila Municipal Agriculture and Fishery Council Chairperson Ma… Read more