SEARCA in the News

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) College of Development Communication (CDC), has piloted the YES! (Your English Sidekick) Micro credential, an online learning initiative designed to strengthen the English language proficiency of SEARCA scholars. The YES! Micro credential builds on SEARCA's long standing language support initiatives, particularly the Basic English Course, which previously provided month long, face to face training to incoming scholars as part of their onboarding before deployment to their study posts. Over time, changing scholar… Read more

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — SEARCA, in partnership with EcoSecurities and the University of the Philippines Los Baños Foundation Inc. (UPLBFI), conducted a two day capacity building workshop to strengthen the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation's (PCIC) capabilities in developing data driven, climate resilient agricultural insurance products. Titled "Data Driven Parametric Crop Insurance for Corn: Loss Modeling, Climate Risk, and GIS Based Payout Systems for PCIC," the workshop was held on 5-6 March 2026 at Microtel by Wyndham UP Technohub in Quezon City. It brought together technical staff from PCIC and partner institutions to enhance their skills in designing innovative parametric insurance… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The Philippines is taking a significant step to expand into the lucrative organic export market with a project titled "Market Assessment of Selected Organic Export Crops in the Philippines," aimed at assessing market opportunities for selected organic crops. The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) and the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP), has embarked on the mission to unlock the potential of the country's organic agriculture industry. The legal basis for the initiative is Republic Act (RA) 10068, the… Read more

STUDENTS from eight Southeast Asian countries had the chance to reimagine the future of growing food at a recent event in Malaysia. High school learners in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand joined the 14th Regional Congress Search for Seameo Young Scientists (SSYS) in Penang. To read more, visit The Manila Times:Asian students get glimpse of future of agriculturehttps://www.manilatimes.net/2026/04/02/campus-press/asian-students-get-glimpse-of-future-of-agriculture/2312449… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) hosted the second installment of the Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS) on March 19, 2026, featuring officials from the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines. The event, held at SEARCA's headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, brought together representatives from the Los Baños Science Community, academic institutions, and partner organizations to explore deeper cooperation in agriculture, education, and innovation. To read more, visit The Manila Times:Spain strengthen ties at 2nd SEARCA Meet the Diplomat Sessionhttps://www.manilatimes.net/2026/04/02/business/agribusiness/spain-strengthen-ties-at-2nd-searca-meet-the-diplomat-session/2312589… Read more

A regional initiative aimed at strengthening coordination between human, animal, and environmental health systems has been launched to address rising risks of zoonotic diseases across Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. The ASEACA project, which focuses on preventing the emergence of diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, is being positioned as a platform to improve cooperation among national and local stakeholders while aligning strategies on disease prevention and early response systems. At its kick-off meeting, participants from pilot sites in Pampanga and Bukidnon, along with representatives from partner institutions, discussed implementation plans, coordination structures, and priority actions… Read more

Saskatchewan's Minister of Advanced Education Ken Cheveldayoff completed a successful visit to Manila, strengthening the growing partnership between Saskatchewan and the Philippines in education, research, and clean energy. During the visit, Minister Cheveldayoff co-chaired a Joint Working Group meeting with Mario Marasigan, Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Energy, focusing on advancing collaboration in clean energy and nuclear workforce development that benefits both jurisdictions. Representatives from Saskatchewan's top post-secondary institutions - the University of Regina, the University of Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic - joined the Minister. They met with key Philippine government partners from the Commission on Higher Education, the… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — A study by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has found that conflicting priorities among key players in the rice value chain are holding back the full potential of NSIC Rc 160, a well regarded Filipino rice variety noted for its premium grain quality and export potential. Presented by Dr. Jaime Manalo IV during the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS), the research highlights how divergent goals among government agencies, breeders, seed growers, farmers, millers, traders, consumers, and the food industry have resulted in… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) convened experts, researchers, and stakeholders for its Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) on 12 February 2026, featuring a comprehensive discussion on the transformative potential of free trade agreements (FTAs) for the agriculture sector. Invited resource speaker Mr. Muhamed Salim bin Mohd Ali, Chief Executive Officer of the International Tropical Fruits Network (TFNet), emphasized that FTAs remain powerful instruments for agricultural growth—but only when paired with strong domestic policies that ensure equitable benefits for smallholders and sensitive sectors. In his presentation, "Free Trade… Read more

Matagumpay na idinaos ng UPLB Graduate School Students Council (GSSC) ang GS Scholarship Fair noong ika-24 ng Marso 2026 sa International Student and Cultural Center, University of the Philippines Los Baños bilang ikalawang araw ng GS Week 2026. Dinaluhan ito ng mga kinatawan mula sa iba't ibang institusyong nag-aalok ng lokal at internasyonal na scholarship kabilang ang Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), at Nagoya University Asian Satellite Campus Institute (ASCI). Layon ng nasabing aktibidad na ilahad ang iba't ibang scholarship opportunities… Read more