SEARCA or the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture is one of the oldest among 26 specialist institutions of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO).[1] Founded on 27 November 1966, SEARCA is mandated to strengthen institutional capacities in agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia.
For its 11th Five-Year Plan (FY 2020/2021- FY 2024/2025), SEARCA commits to accelerate transformation that elevates the quality of life of agricultural families through sustainable livelihoods and access to modern networks and innovative markets. Transformation efforts will focus on policy, institutional, social and technological innovations. Specifically, the Center’s priority areas will be: (1) Agri-Business Models for Increased Productivity and Income; (2) Sustainable Farming Systems and Natural Resource Management; (3) Food and Nutrition Security; (4) Transformational Leadership for ARD; (5)
Gender and Youth Engagement in ARD; (6) Enhanced ARD towards Climate Resilience; and (7) EcoHealh/One Health Applications to ARD.
SEARCA serves the 11 SEAMEO member countries, namely: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste. The Center is hosted by the Government of the Philippines on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in Laguna, Philippines.
Historical milestones
Timeline
Milestone
November 1965
A historic meeting of education ministers of Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam, and United States government representative paved the way for an interim Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Secretariat (SEAMES) to be formed to draw up priority projects for the region, including instituting a center for graduate study and research in agriculture.
July 1966
At the SEAMES Technical Workshop held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Philippine delegation submitted the position paper that a task force evaluated and for which it recommend a framework for operation.
November 1966
The Second Conference of SEAMES held in Manila, Philippines witnessed how the Philippine delegation led by Dr. Dioscoro L. Umali, Dr. Gil F. Saguiguit, and Mr. Onofre D. Corpuz crafted a proposal for grafting the proposed institute to then University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (UPCA) where it will be hosted. The proposal was approved and the institute was officially named the "Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)."
1 July 1967-June 1969
SEARCA operated on an interim status during which guidelines for its establishment were firmed up. Dr. Umali served as Director and Dr. Saguiguit as Assistant Director.
July 1969
SEARCA's permanent existence began, made possible by the Letter of Agreement regarding its establishment, operations and funding for a five-year period signed by the SEARCA Director, SEAMES Acting Director, the Philippine Education Secretary representing the host government, and a representative of the United States government, which was the principal donor of funds during the interim period and the first five years of SEARCA's permanent existence.
1969-1979
Since 1969, SEARCA has evolved and operated under the guidance of Five-Year Plans (FYPs), each embodying an overall strategic theme that SEARCA operationalized through its core programs.
During the First and Second FYPs (1969-1974 and 1974-1979), SEARCA's priority thrust was the generation and transfer of productivity-enhancing agricultural technologies, reflecting the Center's desire to take advantage of the newly developed high-yielding varieties at that time (called “Green Revolution”).
1979-1984
In its Third FYP, SEARCA shifted its strategic thrust to the management of the sub-systems that constitute the agricultural system, including the Development and Management of Irrigation Systems, Research Systems, Extension Systems, Post-Production Systems, and Farming Systems.
1984-1989
Agricultural and Rural Development was the overall theme of the Fourth FYP, principally through technology generation, verification, packaging, dissemination, and utilization.
1989-1994
SEARCA's Fifth FYP focused on the theme of Evaluation and Testing of Agricultural Development Technologies and Models, with the goal of customizing them to the needs and conditions of the SEAMEO member countries.
1994-1999
In the Sixth FYP, SEARCA intensified its thrust in Developing and Testing Methodologies and Approaches to the broad and complex area of Agricultural Development. Its major R & D projects included the Development of Upland Communities, Agro-industrialization, Gender and Development, Management of Agricultural Information, Coastal Area Agriculture, and Bio-fertilizer Research.
1999-2004
In cadence with the changing conditions of the Southeast Asian region, the strategic theme of SEARCA's Seventh FYP shifted to Natural Resource Management (NRM) and Agro-Industrial Development. The sub-themes of the Seventh FYP included Food Security, Biotechnology, Water Resource Management, Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change, and Environmental Risk Management.
2004-2014
The Eight and Ninth FYPs (2004/2009 and 2009/2014) of the Center adopted basically similar strategic themes: Natural Resource Management (NRM) and Agricultural Competitiveness.
NRM projects implemented were in the areas of Sustainable Land Use and Water Management, Climate Change and Risk Management, and Biodiversity Conservation, while
Agricultural Competitiveness projects covered Trade and Investment, Technology Management, Governance, Institutional Reforms, and Policy Studies.
2014-2020
SEARCA's 10th FYP had the overarching theme of Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development (ISARD). Its core programs on Graduate Education and Institutional Development, Research and Development, and Knowledge Management were anchored on strategic thrusts that promoted Social Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, and Cross-cutting Concerns.
In July 2020, SEARCA launched its 11th Five-Year Plan focused on Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN).
Core programs
For more than 50 years, SEARCA has carried out its mandate to strengthen capacities of institutions working toward agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia. To articulate its 11th FYP, SEARCA has repositioned its products and services based on the needs of its stakeholder groups in support of their efforts to create more impact at the ground level.
STAKEHOLDERS
SEARCA SERVICES
LEAD DEPARTMENTS
RESOURCE UNITS
Macro
Regional bodies, national government, international development and finance organizations, industry
Meso
Academic institutions, large development organizations, local government units, industry
