SEARCA in the News

Dr. Mercedita A. Sombilla, a renowned economist with decades of experience in agricultural policy and regional development, has been appointed the new Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) effective 1 April 2025. This appointment also makes her the first woman to lead SEARCA in its nearly 60-year history. Her appointment follows a distinguished career marked by thought leadership and significant contributions to agricultural economics, public policy, and regional development. As Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Agriculture and a long-standing policy advocate at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), where… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) recently trained 26 professionals from higher education and research institutions for the second edition of the SEARCA Agri-Innovator Program (AIP) on human-centric innovative solutions in the agricultural sector. The event, compose of participants from 17 institutions across Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, was held online, followed by face-to-face sessions at the SEARCA headquarters on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna. A nonformal and short-term training program aligned with the center's 11th Five-Year Plan, the SEARCA AIP ought to challenge… Read more

Kailangan magtulungan ng siyensya, polisiya, at lipunan upang mapaunlad ang seguridad sa pagkain. Ito ang naging sentro ng talakayang pinangunahan ng Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) na ginanap noong ika-24 ng Marso 2025, sa SEARCA Drilon Hall. Pinamagatang "Food Systems Transformation: Imperative of Strengthened Interface between Science, Policy, and Society," ito ay bahagi ng kanilang Agriculture and Development Seminar Series. Binigyang diin ng tagapagsalita na si Dr. Shenggen Fan, Chair propesor at dekano ng Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy (AGFEP) ng China Agricultural University (CAU), ang kahalagahan ng praktikal na aplikasyon… Read more

THE University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) held the Food and Agribusiness Forum–Digital Transformation in Philippine Food and Agribusiness: Innovations for the Future on March 14 at the UA&P Campus in Pasig City. SEARCA Center Director Glenn Gregorio said that to achieve more efficient and broadly beneficial agriculture, "we must strategically deploy novel technologies." "This forum fosters collaboration among key players to accelerate the adoption of technology-driven solutions in food and agribusiness," Gregorio said. Speakers from prominent Philippine food and agribusiness firms gathered to share… Read more

ネイチャーベースのカーボンクレジット創出販売事業を展開するGreen Carbon株式会社（代表取締役：大北潤、以下Green Carbon（読み：グリーンカーボン））は、2025年3月17日（月）～19日（水）に、IRRI、AJC、SEARCA等の国際機関が主催する、東京で開催されたASEAN-Japan Workshop on Carbon Neutrality, Food Security, and Agricultural Innovation（以下、本イベント）に登壇したことをお知らせします。… Read more

Entries from the Philippines bagged the major prizes in the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Photo Contest 2024 that envisions a future where farming thrives in harmony with nature. Launched in November 2024 with the theme "The Future of Farming: Pathways to Carbon-Neutral Agriculture," the annual competition awarded Jayson Berto of the Philippines the top prize for his striking photograph of a university student tending a hydroponics tower garden—a resource-efficient urban farming system that maximizes space and conserves water. "Crop growing is cooler with the hydroponics tower garden of the Central Luzon State… Read more

MICRO-CREDENTIALS are focused, fast and flexible learning programs that recognize a learner's competency in a specific area. They are more niche than traditional certified courses and can emphasize a needed skill for the targeted sector. They can also be used to advance and catalyze actionable solutions in food security and climate change resilience. This was the consensus reached by the first international conference held by the Erasmus program Postgraduate Micro-Credentials in Food Security and Climate Change (PMC-FSCC) in Thailand on Feb. 10 to 12. Kasetsart University as the PMC-FSCC project leader spearheaded the event in collaboration with Work Package 5… Read more

Vehicle Accident Alert and Prevention System, Citrus Peel Organic Pesticide, at Safety Electrical Outlet. Iyan ang mga imbensyong gawa ng mga kabataang siyentista ng Calabarzon na umani ng mga parangal sa ginanap na Los Baños Science Community Foundation, Inc. (LBSCFI) SyenSaya Science Festival 2025. Tinanggap ng STEM students ang kanilang mga parangal sa Closing & Awarding Ceremonies ng piyesta noong Marso 13, 2025 sa SEARCA Umali Auditorium. Inuwi ang kampyonato ng grupo nina Danielle G. Camilo, Joella Fhaye M. Diño, at Jualiana Maxine B. Tesorio ng Bucal National Integrated School (BNIS) mula sa Cavite para sa kanilang imbensyong "VLigtas: Vehicle… Read more

TEN international students from the Kyoto University Graduate School of Economics in Japan recently visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) at the University of the Philippines Los Baños in Laguna. The students, who came with their teachers led by Prof. Shuji Hisano, wanted to learn about SEARCA's youth-focused agriculture initiatives. Sharon Malaiba, SEARCA unit head for partnerships, talked about the Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI) program, a SEARCA initiative for youth engagement. She likewise explained Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture program and the Youth in Agri Talk Show, two… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) championed carbon-smart agriculture during a sustainability webinar on March 7. In his keynote address at the Webinar on Challenges, Opportunities and Innovation Strategies in Managing Protected Forests for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability, SEARCA Center Director Glenn Gregorio said, "Agriculture and biodiversity conservation are often framed as conflicting pursuits — as if we must sacrifice one for the other." He said that the real challenge is not choosing between agriculture and biodiversity conservation but finding ways to make agriculture a partner in conservation. The webinar was organized and… Read more