The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), recently awarded Dr. Majah-Leah V. Ravago a travel grant to present her paper titled, "Risk Management and Coping Strategies: Climate Change and Agriculture in the Philippines," at the 9th Asian Society of Agricultural Economist (ASAE) International Conference in Bangkok, Thailand on 11-13 January 2017. Her paper, co-authored with Dr. James A. Roumasset and Dr. Karl Robert L. Jandoc, is forthcoming as a chapter in a joint publication of the Philippine National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) titled, The Future of Philippine Agriculture: Scenarios, Policies, and Investments under Climate Change, edited by Dr. Mark W. Rosegrant and Dr. Mercedita A. Sombilla.

Read more: SEARCA awards travel grant to UP School of Economics Professor to participate at 9th ASAE...

Local governments have integrated climate change policies in their protected landscape and eco-town projects in disaster-prone areas in Marikina City and Rizal.

In a multisectoral project together with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL) will demonstrate climate change integration in agriculture and natural resources management by the respective local government units (LGUs) to benefit farmers and residents in the towns of Tanay, San Mateo, Rodriguez, Baras, and Antipolo City – all in Rizal province.

Read more: LGUs move to integrate climate policies

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – Lesson plans incorporating environment and related concepts are being finalized under a joint research program by government institutions and a Southeast Asian center.

Read more: Lesson plans to include climate change

The ASRF, under the leadership of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), gets the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for another three years under the ASEAN-Swiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate Change (ASFCC) Phase 3 project. This was affirmed during the Operational Planning Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry (AWG-SF), formerly the ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN) held in Jimbaran Bay Beach Resort, Bali, Indonesia on 3-4 December 2016, which was concluded with a debriefing at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta on 6 December 2016. The meeting was attended by Dr. Jurgen Blaser and Mr. Sreeram Kootala of SDC, Dr. Doris Capistrano, Senior Advisor of the ASFCC, and representatives of the five implementing partners of the ASFCC, namely, the Center for International Forest Research (CIFOR), World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), Non-Timber Forest Products-Exchange Program (NTFP-EP), The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC), and SEARCA.

Read more: SDC supports ASRF for another 3-year cycle in ASFCC Phase 3

Laguna, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) held the Regional Forum on Farms, Food and Futures: Toward Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development (ISARD) in Southeast Asia on 7 December 2016 in Los Baños, Laguna.

Read more: Stakeholders in ARD gather in Regional Forum on Farms, Food, and Futures

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) hosted the first workshop to establish the Joint Master’s Degree program in Food Security and Climate Change (MS FSCC) at the SEARCA Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines on 7-8 November 2016.

Read more: Workshop held to establish Joint Masters Degree in Food Security and Climate Change (MS FSCC)

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines – Twelve grantees of the ASEAN Social Forestry Network Strategic Response Fund (ASRF) exchanged and synthesized the challenges, lessons learned, and way forward gleaned from their respective projects in a two-day knowledge sharing workshop held on 14-15 November 2016 at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Headquarters.

Read more: SEARCA-ASRF Synthesizes Lessons Learned from Social Forestry Projects in a Knowledge-Sharing...

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA) and the Food Security Center (FSC) of Hohenheim University will hold the Regional Roundtable Discussion and Workshop on the Development of an Ecological Monitoring Network in Southeast Asia on 24-25 October 2016 at the SEARCA Headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.

Read more: Ecological monitoring for healthy ecosystems in Southeast Asia

A program that promotes the maintenance of food gardens in homes and schools is rolling out in Laguna to integrate agricultural, nutrition and climate change concepts in school curricula.

Spearheaded by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the program that was launched last July was meant to foster a garden-based education and nutrition program among malnourished school children.

“The declining interest of the youth in agriculture and malnutrition among schoolchildren are two of the pressing challenges in agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia,” says SEARCA Director, Gil C. Saguiguit Jr.

The program was designed to encompass three interrelated areas of intervention—learning by doing food production activities (education), improved food diversity and availability (nutrition), and savings on food costs and added income (economics).

In partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), SEARCA piloted the program in Cabuyao Central School in Cabuyao, San Andres Elementary School in Alaminos, Crisanto Guysayko Memorial Elementary School in Nagcarlan, Majayjay Elementary School in Majayjay, Labuin Elementary School in Pila, and Pedro Guevarra Memorial National High School in Sta. Cruz—all in Laguna.

Read more: School gardens nourish pupils’ body and mind

COLLEGE, LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA, Philippines – Beyond the science, research collaboration is a transformative process of knowing yourself and learning to be open, humble, and appreciating another perspective, which are important in coming up with a much better research concept/proposal.  

Read more: Young Southeast Asian scientists find research collaboration a transformative engagement