SEARCA

09/04/2026

On 9 April 1942, the commander of the Luzon force, Major General Edward King, Jr., surrendered more than 76,000 starving and disease-ridden soldiers, including 64,000 Filipinos and 12,000 Americans, to the Japanese troops. Most of these soldiers also endured the infamous 140 km Bataan Death March to Camp O'Donnell in Tarlac, Philippines.

The Philippines commemorates this day as or every year, according to Executive Order No. 203, s 1987. 🇵🇭

joins in honoring the Filipinos who battled and sacrificed their lives to defend their country's freedom.

IN PHOTO: Dambana ng Kagitingan, also called Mt Samat Shrine (Photo by chicheyani zsoid from Pexels)

08/04/2026

and the UPLB College of Development Communication piloted YES! (Your English Sidekick) Micro-credential. This new online initiative is designed to bolster the English language proficiency of SEARCA scholars. ✨

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the College of Development Communication (CDC) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), piloted YES! (Your English Sidekick) Micro-credential. Thi...

08/04/2026

📚

Policy Briefs Vol. 2026 No. 5: Digitalizing Small-Scale Fish Processing to Mitigate Economic Losses by Noor Zafira Noor Hasnan, Roseliza Kadir Basha, Faiqa Shazeaa Mohd Salleh, Mohd Nizam Lani, Nor Amaiza Mohd Amin, and Nur Hamizah Abdul Ghani is NOW AVAILABLE!

Download it here: https://www.searca.org/pubs/briefs-notes?pid=636

08/04/2026

📸 IN PHOTOS:

Yesterday, welcomed Dr. Yurdi Yasmi, Director of the Plant Production and Protection Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN FAO), for an official visit to explore potential areas of partnership. He was joined by Dr. Lionel Dabbadie, Country Representative of FAO Philippines, Mr. Josef Kienzle, Agricultural Engineer of FAO Headquarters, Dr. Romeo Labios, International Agriculture and Farming Systems Specialist, FAO Regional Office, Bangkok, and key FAO Philippines staff.

Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, Center Director of SEARCA, welcomed the visitors and apprised them about the Center's ongoing initiatives to advance agricultural transformation in the region. She was joined by Dr. Rico Ancog, Deputy Director for Administration; Dr. Maria Cristeta Cuaresma, Senior Program Head, Education and Collective Learning Department; Dr. Emil Cabrera, Program Head, Emerging Innovation for Growth Department; Ms. Sharon Malaiba, Unit Head, Partnerships; and SEARCA key staff.

The visit featured productive discussions on the upcoming FAO event, the Asia-Pacific Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (APCSAM) 2026, and how SEARCA can actively participate in the said gathering. APSCAM is the first regional conference dedicated solely to advancing sustainable agricultural mechanization across the Asia-Pacific. This event is a historic milestone in regional agricultural cooperation.

SEARCA, as a key regional Center, will take a strategic role in the conference by sharing valuable insights on how mechanization, guided by sound policy, can be integrated into climate change, youth engagement, innovation, and value chain upgrading, achieving transformative outcomes and sustainable solutions in agriculture across the region. SEARCA's active involvement in the conference will demonstrate the Center's proactive stance in driving agricultural progress.

08/04/2026

📸 IN PHOTOS:

welcomes 20 research and extension leaders, coming from six SEAMEO member countries, for the 2026 Training Workshop on Transformational Agricultural Innovation Systems (TrAInS) for the New Future. Specifically, the participants are from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The TrAInS program is designed to provide participants with a structured platform to critically examine emerging and persistent challenges confronting agriculture, and to co-create collaborative and forward-looking solutions. The program is conducted in a hybrid format with four online sessions and an in-person session at Universiti Putra Malaysia this April 2026.

SEARCA Center Director Dr. Mercedita Sombilla opened the session by urging participants to challenge policies and practices that hinder innovation. Similarly, Prof. Dr. Samsilah Binti Roslan, Director of Putra Science Park at Universiti Putra Malaysia, reminded the group that the program's success would be measured by how their new knowledge and professional networks strengthen agricultural innovation systems in their countries and across Southeast Asia.

The first online session featured experts in agriculture and development, including: Dr. V. Bruce Tolentino of the University of the Philippines Los Baños; Dr. Rasheed Sulaiman V of the Centre for Research Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP); and Dr. Virginia Cardenas, APIRAS Steering Committee Member and GFRAS Regional Focal Person. They discussed policies for strong and resilient agricultural sectors, emerging concepts of Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS), and the AIS governance framework.

The training program is implemented in collaboration with the Universiti Putra Malaysia, the New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries, CRISP, and the Asia-Pacific Islands Rural Advisory Services Network (APIRAS).

07/04/2026

7 April marks the celebration of ! 🌱🐔🐐👩🏽‍🌾🧑🏻‍🌾

Under the theme “Together for health. Stand with science,” this year’s observance launches a year long campaign celebrating the power of scientific collaboration to protect the health of people, animals, plants, and the planet. The campaign spotlights both scientific achievements and the multilateral cooperation needed to turn evidence into action---through a strong focus on the One Health approach.

supports this global call by advancing agricultural education, research, capacity building, and partnerships that strengthen One Health initiatives across Southeast Asia.

Join the celebration here: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2026
---

Photo credits: Thaung Zaw Oo, Pham Van Thanh, and Carl Danielle Cabuhat

31/03/2026

📚

Policy Briefs Vol. 2026 No. 4: Climate, Culture, and Nutrition: A Multisectoral Strategy for Vietnam's Ethnic Minorities by Le Ngoc Hiep, Le Thi Ngoc Tien, Nguyen Thi Tieu Loan, Ernesta Sofija, Connie Cai Ru Gan, Hoang Thi Duc Ngan, Tran Van Hieu, Vo Tat Thang, Nguyen Van Kien, Ho Thi Thu Hang, Tran Quang Hien, Nguyen Duy Tan, and Hai Phung is NOW AVAILABLE!

This policy brief examines how climate change, socio-cultural factors, and economic constraints contribute to persistent malnutrition among ethnic minority children in Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong Delta. It highlights significant disparities in food security and dietary quality and proposes a multisectoral strategy that integrates culturally sensitive nutrition programs, climate-resilient livelihoods, and strengthened social protection systems to address these challenges.

Download it here: https://www.searca.org/pubs/briefs-notes?pid=632

31/03/2026

📚

Policy Briefs Vol. 2026 No. 3: A Community-Based Enterprise Strategy for a Competitive Bicol Cacao Industry by Ramona Isabel Salcedo-Ramirez and Ma. Teresa B. Lirag is NOW AVAILABLE!

This policy brief examines the potential of the Bicol Region to become a competitive cacao production hub, while highlighting key constraints such as low productivity, limited modernization, and weak market integration. It proposes a community-based enterprise model that leverages local organizations, capacity building, and multi-sectoral partnerships to drive innovation, value addition, and inclusive growth in the cacao industry.

Download it here: https://www.searca.org/pubs/briefs-notes?pid=633

31/03/2026

📸 IN PHOTOS:

and DepEd Philippines have collaborated on the dialogue titled "From Farms to Classrooms: Nourishing Futures Together" on 26 March 2026 at Tangway Integrated School in Lipa City, Batangas. 🌱✏️

This initiative reflects DepEd's commitment to universal early nutrition, ensuring that all learners have access to safe, culturally appropriate meals. Recognizing farmers as vital partners in community health, the program connects agricultural production with school nutrition. It highlights accessible farming technologies, such as soil health management, biofertilizers, and pest control, that help produce safer, more profitable crops. By directly linking farms to schools, this program strengthens three key connections: providing children with balanced "Go, Grow, Glow" meals, offering farmers stable markets to minimize reliance on middlemen, and introducing students to sustainable, local food systems.

Ultimately, this dialogue aims to integrate these farm-to-school models into DepEd’s Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) and School-based Feeding Program (SBFP), ensuring long-term sustainability for both agricultural livelihoods and student health.

has been implementing the School-plus-Home Gardens Program (S+HGP) since 2016 to prevent hunger and malnutrition among schoolchildren.

31/03/2026

, DA - Bureau of Agricultural Research, and the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP) have launched a landmark market assessment on organic export crops, such as mango, banana, pineapple, ube, and coconut, to unlock new opportunities for Filipino farmers and boost the Philippines’ share in the fast-growing global organic market. 🥭🍌🍍

The three agencies formally launched the project titled "Market Assessment of Selected Organic Export Crops in the Philippines" at an inception meeting on 16 March 2026.

The initiative follows the enactment of Republic Act No. 10068, the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, which sought to develop and promote organic agriculture in the Philippines.

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), and the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP) formally launched the project titled Market Assessment of Sel...

30/03/2026

📸 IN PHOTOS:

On 26-27 March 2026, , Cirad - La recherche agronomique pour le développement, and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) launched the Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean (ASEACA) program at the New World Hotel in Makati, Philippines. This groundbreaking initiative is dedicated to enhancing the resilience and sustainability of human, animal, and environmental health systems through a comprehensive One Health approach. By concentrating on risk assessment, risk reduction, community-based surveillance, and capacity building, ASEACA aims to effectively mitigate zoonotic and environmental health risks.

The project is part of the PREventing Zoonotic Disease Emergence (PREZODE), an initiative established to strengthen research capacity and international and multisectoral collaboration.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, Center Director of SEARCA, warmly welcomed participants and highlighted the ASEACA project as a vital commitment to strengthening systems, generating critical evidence, and fostering long-lasting resilience. The project’s activities are essential for empowering national and local stakeholders to anticipate risks proactively and respond collaboratively through shared expertise and unified action. This initiative represents a significant step toward a healthier and more secure future for all.

Dr. Daan Vink opened the discussion on PREZODE and ASEACA, followed by a review of ASEACA activities in the Bukidnon and Pampanga sites. The event also featured an engaging discussion with the participants, moderated by Dr. Flavie Goutard of CIRAD and Dr. Rico Ancog, the Deputy Director for Administration of SEARCA.

The meeting brought together representatives from the country's government agencies, such as the Department of Health - Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, and Commission on Higher Education Region 4. Representatives from universities, local government units, international development organizations, and diplomatic missions working on the country’s One Health sector also participated in the event.

One Health approach directly supports SEARCA’s 12th Five-Year Development Plan: Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia (SUSTAIN SEA), the blueprint for the Center in accelerating impact and positioning SEARCA as a regional catalyst for innovation-led agricultural development. By addressing the links between agriculture, health, and environment, SEARCA can strongly advocate interventions that will lead to long-term benefits for people and economies in the region.

30/03/2026

📚

Policy Briefs Vol. 2026 No. 2: Preventing Groundwater Depletion in D**g Nai Province, Vietnam: A Five-Point Policy Agenda by Ho Viet The is NOW AVAILABLE!

This policy brief highlights the growing risks of groundwater depletion in D**g Nai Province, Vietnam, driven by increasing reliance on groundwater amid rapid agricultural and industrial expansion. It outlines key challenges such as declining water levels, deteriorating quality, and weak institutional enforcement, and proposes a five-point policy agenda to promote sustainable water management and agricultural resilience.

Download it here: https://www.searca.org/pubs/briefs-notes?pid=634