SEARCA in the News

The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), of which the Philippines is a chartered member, celebrated its 55th  year in November. SEAMEO has 26 regional centers across Southeast Asia, three of which are hosted by the Philippine government. The country is represented in the SEAMEO Council by the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), a news release said. “Indeed, SEAMEO has come a long way since its inception in 1965 and has taken pride of its achievements over the years as Southeast Asia’s longest running regional organization for promoting quality education, science and culture,” said Dr. Ethel Agnes… Read more

Three state universities have recently partnered with the Philippine government-hosted, Los Baños-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU) and Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU) have formalized ties with SEARCA work together on areas of mutual interest such as education, research, and training, while Batangas State University (BatStateU) also agreed to cooperate with SEARCA in the same areas with special focus on innovative agricultural technologies, agribusiness incubation, and technology transfer. Signatories to the five-year memoranda of understanding (MOU) signed by SEARCA with the three universities were SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B… Read more

The University of the Philippines Los Baños-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and Stockholm-based International Foundation for Science (IFS) have signed a deal on the provision of research grants to help push food security in Southeast Asia. According to SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio, the grants are under the auspices of a Mentorship Program for Advanced Grants, jointly funded by SEARCA and IFS under an agreement signed on November 26. These grants are available to Filipinos, as well as citizens of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. He said the agreement was the… Read more

Southeast Asia’s longest running organization promoting quality education celebrated its 55th year in November this year with 26 regional centers across the region, three of which are hosted by the Philippine government. The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), of which the Philippines is a chartered member and represented in the SEAMEO Council by the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), anchored its celebration on the theme, “Stronger Together for Quality, Accessible and Responsive Education.” The three centers are the University of the Philippines Los Baños-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)… Read more

Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU) for collaboration in education, research and training.  In a virtual signing ceremony between the two institutions, SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio emphasized the importance of partnership to realize its mission to elevate the quality of life of agricultural families through sustainable livelihoods and access to modern networks and innovative markets in this time of pandemic. “SEARCA aims to collaborate with key players from the academe, which TAU is part of, as well as with industries and government,” Gregorio stressed. "We do this… Read more

“Masteral and PhD level researches should be translated into the curriculum and integrated into the curriculum for basic education so that we start off our learners early in their lives on being appreciative of the benefits of agriculture, of protecting our environment, and caring not only for the present but also for the future generations.” This was the call to action of Education Secretary Leonor Briones during a virtual event commemorating the 54th  anniversary of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on November 27. Briones represents the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Ministers… Read more

A UK-based agricultural economist and scientists from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) reported that using crop biotechnology has reduced pesticide use associated with environmental impact and has been found to be beneficial for agricultural biodiversity. The experts discussed these during an online technical forum on “Greener Greens: Environmental Impact of Biotech Crops” convened by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) in partnership with the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines, CropLife Asia, Program for Biosafety Systems, International Rice Research Institute, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Department of Agriculture-Biotechnology Program Office, UPLB-Institute of… Read more

A UK-based agricultural economist and scientists from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) reported that using crop biotechnology has reduced pesticide use associated with environmental impact and has been found to be beneficial for agricultural biodiversity. The experts discussed these during an online technical forum on “Greener Greens: Environmental Impact of Biotech Crops” convened by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in partnership with the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines, CropLife Asia, Program for Biosafety Systems, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Department of Agriculture-Biotechnology Program Office… Read more

Grants for research on accelerating transformation through agricultural innovation in Southeast Asia with a focus on food security during the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic and social impacts are available to Cambodians as well as nationals of Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. According to a press release of the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) AKP received this morning, the grants are under the auspices of a Mentorship Programme for Advanced Grants jointly funded by the International Foundation for Science (IFS) and SEARCA. It is the first activity under the agreement… Read more

The use of crop biotechnology has reduced pesticide use associated with environmental impact and is beneficial for agricultural biodiversity, a UK-based agricultural economist and scientists from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) said. During an online technical forum organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Dr. Merdelyn Caasi-Lit and Dr. Ireneo L. Lit, Jr., professors and scientists at UPLB, said that based on their study, biotech crops like Bt corn ensures good yield by protecting the crop against corn borer infestation and reducing farm inputs for pesticide use. They also said… Read more