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

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – Two Philippine-based international institutions have agreed to implement a joint project focusing on climate change policies.

A letter of agreement for the implementation of the project was signed recently by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

Read more: IRRI, SEARCA draft climate change policies

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Kasetsart University now plays host to 28 graduate students and young faculty members from 15 countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa for the 2016 Summer School on Climate Change and Food Security from 25 July to 11 August 2016.

Read more: Kasetsart University hosts 2016 Summer School on Climate Change and Food Security

QUEZON CITY, Philippines - SEARCA and the University of the Philippines Los Baños Foundation, Inc. (UPLBFI) turned over two units of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the Department of Agriculture System Wide Climate Change Office (DA-SWCCO) during the presentation of the Draft Final Report of the project, Strengthening Implementation of Adaptation and Mitigation Initiatives in Agriculture (AMIA Project 1). This was held on June 9, 2016 at Torre Venecia, Timog Avenue, Quezon City.

Read more: SEARCA and UPLBFI turn over drones to DA system-wide climate change office

An umbrella program brings together different institutions to synergize efforts towards improving climate change adaptation and resilience in Southeast Asia. 

Read more: Creating synergies with umbrella program on climate change in SEA

ANCOL JAKARTA BAY CITY, Indonesia – SEARCA along with the other implementing partners of the ASEAN-Swiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate Change (ASFCC) Program Phase II participated in the Planning Meeting for 2016 and Initial Planning for Phase III (2017–2020) on 18–20 January 2016.

Read more: SEARCA participates in ASFCC Planning Meeting in North Jakarta, Indonesia

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines – Twenty-five participants from training agencies and regional field offices (RFOs) of the Department of Agriculture took part in a five-day facilitators’ training on systematic climate change adaptation assessment last 11-15 January at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in College, Los Baños, Laguna.

Read more: DA Trainers Undergo Systematic Adaptation Assessment Facilitation Training