SEARCA in the News

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) announces the opening of applications for the 2026 edition of the Executive Program for Leaders in Asian Agriculture and Development (LAAD): Focus on Southeast Asia. This hybrid program, which incorporates both online and in-person sessions, is designed to strengthen leadership and innovation capacities among professionals operating within the rapidly changing agrifood landscape of the region. LAAD is tailored for leaders working in government agencies, private agrifood enterprises, academia, civil society, and development organizations. The curriculum offers comprehensive modules on contemporary agrifood system issues… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — Thirty teaching and non-teaching personnel from the Department of Education in Laguna (DepEd Laguna) have completed a transformative in-country training focused on urban farming for sustainable cultivation, biodiversity conservation, education, and food security. The two-day event, held on 29-30 October 2025 at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), equipped participants with practical skills and ecological knowledge for greener communities. The initiative, titled "In-Country Training on Urban Farming for Sustainable Cultivation to Support Biodiversity Conservation, Education, and Food Security in the… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — In a study titled "Insights into the Structural Challenges of Philippine Agricultural Transformation through Analysis of Production Growth Trends," the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) underscored its dedication to regional cooperation and progressive policy formulation in agricultural and rural development. SEARCA Center Director Mercedita Sombilla said that the study used data from the Philippine Statistics Authority spanning 2000–2024 which focused on rice and corn, two staple crops that keep the structural health of Philippine agriculture. Sombilla noted that the study's findings indicated that initial production gains, supported by technology… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — A seminar hosted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) highlighted the need for next-generation professionals to be equipped and to engage in the biodiversity-climate nexus. Held on 17 November 2025, a SEARCA Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) featured Dr. Dindo Campilan, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Regional Director for Asia and Hub Director for Oceania. Campilan delivered his lecture, "Biodiversity-Climate Nexus for a Nature-Positive Future: Renewing the Role of Academe in Nurturing Next-Generation Professionals." He underscored the persistent fragmentation in treating biodiversity and climate as… Read more

BANGKOK, Thailand — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) participated in the 48th Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) High Officials Meeting (HOM) held in Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort on 18–20 November 2025, in celebration of SEAMEO's 60th anniversary. With the theme, "Leading Through Learning: Empowering Schools and Communities in Southeast Asia," the meeting gathered over 150 delegates, including the 11 high officials from all SEAMEO Member Countries, along with representatives from Associate and Affiliate Members, SEAMEO Center Directors, and global partners to strengthen cooperation in education, science, and culture. SEARCA was… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines— Dr. Karl Kendrick Chua, former Secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA, now known as Department of Economy, Planning, and Development [DEPDev]), underscored that agricultural productivity is the missing foundation in the Philippines' long-delayed structural transformation during a seminar hosted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 14 November 2025. Addressing the audience at SEARCA's flagship seminar, Chua described the Philippines' economy as stable, but not yet prosperous. He pointed out that true national prosperity can only be achieved by launching an agricultural transformation similar to those… Read more

A UK-based firm has launched a new rice straw biogas hub in Laguna, establishing a two-hectare facility designed to process 10,000 metric tons (MT) of the plant material annually into methane, biochar and fertilizer. Straw Innovations Ltd. built the P235 million facility in the municipality of Pila in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Ashton University in Birmingham and the UK government's innovation agency Innovate UK. "The rice straw biogas hub is a testament to what we can achieve when science and community come together," Straw Innovations founder Craig Jamieson said… Read more

BEIJING, China — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) underscored its dedication to regional cooperation and progressive policy formulation in agricultural and rural development as it participated in the 30th anniversary celebration of the China Center for Agricultural Policy (CCAP), held from 17 to 19 October 2025. The event, hosted at Peking University, convened leading institutions and renowned experts to commemorate CCAP’s achievements as a premier agricultural policy think tank. Through its robust connections with China’s decision-making bodies and international partners, CCAP continues to play a significant role in promoting effective agricultural and… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) have renewed their memorandum of understanding (MOU) during a virtual ceremony held on 22 October 2025. CIRDAP, established in 1979 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), fosters regional cooperation for integrated rural development and operates through designated ministries and partner institutions across Asia and the Pacific. Since the formation of their alliance in 2014—marked by the signing of a three-year MOU—SEARCA and CIRDAP have committed… Read more

HANOI, Vietnam—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) urged a transformative shift to circular agriculture systems during the 2025 Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry (TUAF) International Climate Change Conference (ICCC) on 14 October 2025 in Hanoi. SEARCA Center Director Dr. Mercedita Sombilla drew attention to the need for Southeast Asia to move away from traditional linear and extractive agricultural models and instead adopt circular, regenerative practices. In her keynote, Sombilla highlighted circular agriculture as a practical solution to challenges such as climate change and resource scarcity. She stressed measures like minimizing waste… Read more