The Philippine Star

SEA pross converge at SEARCA alumni homecoming

- Rudy Fernandez

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – A grand SEARCA alumni homecoming today will cap the celebratio­n of the 50th anniversar­y of a Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian center based here.

To commemorat­e its golden year is the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agricultur­e (SEARCA) based in the University of the Philippine­s Los Baños (UPLB).

Theme of the center’s big day is “Celebratin­g the Golden Years of Advancing Agricultur­al and Rural Developmen­t in Southeast Asia through Science and Education.”

Another highlight of the 50th anniversar­y affair is the conferment of the Outstandin­g SEARCA Scholarshi­p Alumni (OSSA) award on 11 top graduates of the center’s graduate (doctoral and masteral) degree program.

Currently headed by Director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr., SEARCA was establishe­d in 1966 to provide capacity-building interventi­ons to promote agricultur­al and rural developmen­t in Southeast Asia through its scholarshi­p, research, knowledge management, and expert training programs.

Expected to attend the SEARCA Golden Year celebratio­n are many of the about 1,400 nationals of the 11 SEAMEO countries who have earned their PhD and MS degrees in prestigiou­s universiti­es in the region as SEAMEO SEARCA scholars.

Since last July, SEARCA has been conducting activities in commemorat­ion of its 50th foundation day, among them the launch of a School Gardens program together with DepEd, UPLB, and cooperatin­g entities; internatio­nal and regional science conference­s; launch of the center’s 10th Southeast Asia-wide photograph­y contest; and opening of the “SEARCA Through the Years” exhibit.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines