SEARCA in the News

Recognizing the learning gaps brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, newly installed Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Council President Vice President Sara Duterte promised to fight the education challenges and work on programs to address the learning losses. The official, who serves as Education secretary in a concurrent capacity, accepted the challenge of leading Southeast Asian education ministers in the post-pandemic recovery of the education sector. “The Philippines humbly accepts the challenge of leading its Southeast Asian counterparts to post-pandemic recovery, while pursuing much-needed reforms in our education systems, ensuring that these fit within our Priority Education Agenda… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is seeking to scale up its community gardening project to possibly include 11 more schools in Rizal. This, as a scoping activity for the School Edible Landscaping for Entrepreneurship (SEL4E) Project was conducted from January 31 to Feb. 3, 2022 in Rizal. Eleven schools from seven municipalities were visited by key staff of SEARCA's Research and Thought Leadership Department and Training for Development Unit, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist of Rizal and the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division Office (SDO) of Rizal. "SEL4E is an offshoot… Read more

FILIPINOS won six of the seven prizes at stake in the annual photo contest of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). The 2022 edition of the competition was anchored on the theme "Emerging Agricultural Innovations for the Next Generation." SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said the winning entries depicted technologies and innovation that help modernize and transform agriculture and rural development towards increased food supply and security. Gregorio noted that in its 16th year in 2022, the SEARCA annual photo contest drew 760 entries from 182 photographers representing the countries of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia… Read more

Filipinos won six of the seven prizes in the latest edition of the annual photo contest of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Themed “Emerging Agricultural Innovations for the Next Generation,” the 2022 edition of the competition searched for images that depict technologies and innovation that are modernizing and transforming agriculture and rural development towards increased food supply and security.Now on its 16th year, the SEARCA annual photo contest attracted 760 entries from 182 photographers from 10 countries, namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam… Read more

Vice President and Education Sec. Sara Duterte opened the 52nd Southeast Asian Ministers Education Organization (SEAMEO) Council Conference held at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong on Wednesday. The Philippines is currently the SEAMEO Council Vice President, with Singapore serving as the Council President. At the February 9 plenary session, the Philippines, represented by Duterte, will be formally elected as the SEAMEO Council President, and will lead the council from 2023 to 2025. During the opening ceremony, Duterte said Southeast Asian countries remain committed to deliver quality education, amid challenges brought by the pandemic. "In all of these, one thing is… Read more

Filipinos won six of the seven prizes in the latest edition of the annual photo contest of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Themed “Emerging Agricultural Innovations for the Next Generation,” the 2022 edition of the competition searched for images that depict technologies and innovation that are modernizing and transforming agriculture and rural development towards increased food supply and security. Now on its 16th year, the SEARCA annual photo contest attracted 760 entries from 182 photographers from 10 countries, namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and… Read more

Pili farmers in the Bicol Region received support from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) to help them revive their livelihood activities that were stalled by the pandemic and typhoons. Through its Grants for Research toward Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS), SEARCA funded a project of the Socio-Economic Development Program Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SEDP-MPC) called “Technology Adoption for People-Centered Innovation and Livelihood Integration (PILI).” SEARCA Program Head for Emerging Innovation Glenn Baticados stressed that with GRAINS, SEARCA is pushing for starter technologies and projects that will benefit farming communities. According to SEDP-MPC Chairman Jovic Lobrigo… Read more

The eggplant is used in various cuisines around the world. It can be sliced, battered, and deep-fried, and then served with various sauces.  It can also be stuffed with meat, rice, or other fillings and then baked. In the Philippines, eggplant is one of the main ingredients of pinakbet, torta, sinigang, ensalada, and kare-kare.    The popularity of eggplant is the reason why it is the number one vegetable in the country – in terms of area planted (20,000 hectares) and volume of production (179,000 metric tons).  Most of the top producing regions are located in Luzon like Ilocos, Central Luzon… Read more

A distinguished female educator and administrator at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has been appointed as deputy director for programs of the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). For the first time, according to SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio, a Malaysian woman has been appointed for a three-year term starting Jan. 1, 2023. "I am very happy that we now have Dr. Nur Azura Binti Adam as our deputy director for programs since the post had been vacant since 2006. I am doubly pleased that with Dr. Nur we have not only the first… Read more

The Philippine-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) conducted on Wednesday training on agri-robotics for learners and educators of the Dagatan Family Farm School (DFFS) in Batangas. According to SEARCA headed by Director Glenn Gregorio, the agri-robotics training is part of a one-day learning activity that will be the first collaboration between SEARCA and DFFS, which is located in Lipa, Batangas and has the distinction of being the first family farming school in Asia. He said the learning activity was conceived on Jan. 13, 2023 when SEARCA officers and DFFS staff, DFFS school director… Read more