SEARCA in the News

Los Baños, Laguna—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture and the Philippine Rice Research Institute have renewed their partnership to further collaborate and address challenges, particularly leadership development, in the country’s rice sector. Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, said the Center is keen to contribute in addressing regional and global challenges, elevating agricultural families’ quality of life.  “The Center will do so by enabling the families to access new and innovative financial services​​; to adopt new, sustainable, resilient production technologies and systems​​; to integrate with modern postharvest and logistics system​​; and to gain access… Read more

FOUR Filipinos won five of the top six prizes in the 13th Photo Contest of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca). They were Mariano Sayno, first prize; Jose Ramos, third prize; Christopher Andres, People’s Choice Award; and Jaime Singlador, the Searca Director’s Choice and the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary’s Choice, both new special prize categories. Phan Thi Khanh of Vietnam won second prize. Launched in September 2019, the photo contest focused on the theme “Cultivating Southeast Asia’s Youth Agripreneurs.” It received 762 entries from September to November 2019 from 235 professional… Read more

Los Baños, Laguna—Four Filipinos won five of the six top prizes in the 13th Photo Contest of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, which focused on the theme “Cultivating Southeast Asia’s Youth Agripreneurs.” The winners are Mariano Sayno, first prize; Phan Thi Khanh of Vietnam, second prize; Jose Ramos, third prize; and Christopher Andres, People’s Choice Award. Jaime Singlador bagged the SEARCA Director’s Choice and the Philippine Department of Education Secretary’s Choice, both new special prize categories. Mariano Sayno’s photo shows a mother-and-son tandem in the town of Laguna, Philippines, known for its duck… Read more

Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is calling for a favorable set of biotechnology (BT) regulatory policies in the Philippines amid calls for the revocation of the commercial permit of Golden Rice, a genetically modified (GM) rice variety. In a statement, SEARCA said that aside from the safety questions on the BT products, an "effective communication and science-based regulatory frameworks" is also important. It issued the statement weeks after the Philippine government has approved Golden Rice for direct use as food and feed as well as for processing (FFP). To be specific, the Philippine… Read more

The Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) published by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has launched a new look for its 15th year of publication. The news look is "symbolic of the pivotal turn in its publisher's goal to contribute in addressing regional and global challenges, elevating agricultural families' quality of life through sustainable and resilient livelihoods and access to modern networks and markets," SEARCA said in a statement. The new AJAD look highlights the iconic "tree" emblem of its publisher. It shows a molave tree with an interlace of grain… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is boosting support for favorable agri-biotechnology regulatory policies amid calls for the revocation of the commercial permit of Vitamin A-rich Golden Rice. Believing agri-biotechnology is the key to food security and uplifting farmers' lives, SEARCA said it has partnered with three expert groups for the program to boost expert knowledge in regulations on living modified organisms, which include farm products more known as genetically modified organisms (GMO). This is through the opening of the program "Second Asian Course on Agribiotechnology." SEARCA Director and National Academician Glenn Gregorio… Read more

ASEAN's farm research center Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is pushing for support for favorable agri-biotechnology regulatory policies amid local calls for the revocation of the commercial permit of pro-Vitamin A-rich Golden Rice. This, as SEARCA said it believes that agri-biotechnology will be key to food security and upliftment of farmers' lives. "We stand behind products of agribiotechnology that increase agricultural productivity to feed a growing population in the midst of dwindling natural resources and erratic changes in climate," said SEARCA Director and National Academician Glenn B. Gregorio. "Due attention must be given… Read more

MANILA, Philippines — Another international institution has backed the controversial Golden Rice amid calls of a green group to revoke its approval. The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is supporting the Golden Rice as it emphasized that agri-biotechnology will be key to food security and upliftment of farmers' lives. ASEAN's farm research center said it is boosting support for favorable agri-biotechnology regulatory policies amid local calls for the revocation of the commercial permit of pro-Vitamin A-rich Golden Rice. Despite safety questions on biotechnology products, SEARCA deems it important to harness the full potential… Read more

A PROFESSOR of the University of the Philippines (UP) has been appointed as deputy director for administration of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). The appointment of Professor Joselito Florendo, outgoing vice president for planning and finance of the UP System, took effect on December 1. Not completely new to SEARCA, Florendo served as its financial adviser on accounting, audit, investment, and finance from 2003 to 2007. SEARCA is a treaty organization hosted by the Philippine government on the campus of UP Los Baños. It is mandated to strengthen institutional capacities toward agricultural… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has thrown its support behind Golden Rice (GR2E) amid calls by certain sectors to revoke the genetically modified organism's (GMO) biosafety permit. In a statement on Monday, ASEAN's farm research center said it is also boosting support for the country's biotechnology regulations and policies by opening a program to expand knowledge on biotechnology, particularly GMOs and regulations, for stakeholders, especially policy-makers. "We stand behind products of agribiotechnology that increase agricultural productivity to feed a growing population in the midst of dwindling natural resources and erratic changes in… Read more