SEARCA in the News

LEGAZPI CITY (PIA) — The Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Business Advisory Council Philippines (ASEAN-BAC Philippines) on May 4 held a high-level roundtable on food security in Southeast Asia. The event brought together leaders from both the public and private sectors at Landbank Plaza in Manila. According to Landbank, the event focused on financial challenges, improving agricultural supply chains, and making food systems in Southeast Asia more resilient. These efforts support the Philippines' goals for food security. In a statement, Landbank President and CEO Lynette Ortiz pledged to mobilize capital, strengthen value chains… Read more

VIETNAM's successful transformation from the country fighting food insecurity to agriculture powerhouse was rooted in science, policy, and trust. The Southeast Asian country's successful transformation was recently shared by Lai Thai Binh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the Philippines, during a forum at the headquarters of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Laguna. The forum, the fourth installment of SEARCA's Meet the Diplomat Series, gathered scientists, students, and policymakers to discuss how cross-border cooperation can turn research into rural prosperity. SEARCA Director Mercedita Sombilla opened the… Read more

(EU and the Philippines Advance Green Trade as Youth Focus on Sustainable Development) 歐盟與菲律賓的綠色貿易合作正受到青年世代的高度關注。東南亞農業研究生產研究中心（Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, SEARCA）在菲律賓大學洛斯巴諾斯校區（University of the Philippines Los Baños, UPLB）的支持下，於日前舉行了第三屆「會見外交官系列」（Meet the Diplomat Series, MDS）會議。歐盟駐菲律賓大使 Massimo Santoro 出席會議，該平台旨在協調歐盟與菲律賓的外交政策優先事項。… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)'s Consortium for Agricultural Policy Research Initiatives (CAPRI) held its onboarding workshop on April 27–28, 2026. The event convened representatives from national research institutions, development partners, and regional organizations from the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian countries, reaffirming their collective commitment to advancing agricultural policy research and collaboration. SEARCA Center Director Dr. Mercedita Sombilla emphasized the importance of evidence-based policymaking to address systemic challenges, including labor outmigration, an aging farming population, climate risks, and underinvestment in technology and infrastructure. She… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), with support from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), hosted the third session of its Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS) featuring His Excellency Massimo Santoro, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines. The event served as a high-level platform for aligning EU foreign policy priorities with those of the Philippines. A central focus of Ambassador Santoro's discussion was economic growth, particularly the ongoing negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He expressed hope that the negotiations would be concluded in 2026… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) recently hosted the third session of its Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS), bringing together policymakers, academics, and industry leaders to discuss the EU-Philippines alliance on trade, green innovation, and agricultural development. With the support of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, the event, held on April 15, 2026, featured His Excellency Massimo Santoro, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines, who shared insights on the ongoing negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the EU and the Philippines. Sharing the EU's vision for… Read more

BATANGAS, Philippines — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Department of Education (DepEd) co-hosted a dialogue titled "From Farms to Classrooms: Nourishing Futures Together" at Tangway Integrated School in Lipa City, Batangas. The event convened educators, agricultural cooperatives, and local policymakers to explore the strategic integration of local agriculture into school nutrition programs. Aligned with DepEd's efforts toward universal school feeding, the dialogue emphasized the provision of safe, appropriate, and nutritious meals for all students. SEARCA's initiatives demonstrated that farm-to-school connectivity can improve children's long-term dietary habits by linking local farmers… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) hosted the fourth installment of its Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS) featuring His Excellency Dr. Lai Thai Binh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the Philippines. The event underscored the critical intersection of science and diplomacy in driving sustainable development across Southeast Asia. Opening the session, SEARCA Center Director Dr. Mercedita Sombilla highlighted Vietnam's remarkable transformation from a nation once facing food security challenges into a global agricultural powerhouse. She noted that Vietnam is now the world's second-largest… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), with support from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), hosted the third session of its Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS) featuring His Excellency Massimo Santoro, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines. The event served as a high-level platform for aligning EU foreign policy priorities with those of the Philippines. A central focus of Ambassador Santoro's discussion was economic growth, particularly the ongoing negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He expressed hope that the negotiations would be concluded… Read more

Calamansi is so common to us that we barely stop to think about it. But what feels ordinary at home is actually one of the Philippines' most important fruit crops, already rooted in our land, our kitchens, and our daily life. This is exactly why calamansi matters. The Philippines does not need to invent a new "superfood" or chase a foreign trend when we already have a fruit that is deeply ours and already produced at scale. Calamansi is not just important to Filipinos. SEARCA said there is a huge international market for it, while Philippine-made calamansi products are already… Read more