Privacy Policy

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding the personal information you share with us.

This Privacy Policy explains how the SEARCA Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Knowledge Platform (“the Platform”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information when you access or use our website and its services. The Platform serves as a regional knowledge repository and collaboration space for agriculture, food systems, natural resources, rural development, and related fields in Southeast Asia.

By accessing or using this website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

We may collect the following categories of information:

Personal Information

When you voluntarily register or interact with the Platform, we may collect:

1. Full name
2. Organization or institution
3. Position or designation
4. Email address
5. Country
6. Profile photograph (optional)
7. Areas of expertise or research interests
8. User-generated content, such as comments, forum posts, uploaded documents, and submissions

Technical Information

When you browse the Platform, we may automatically collect:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device information
• Operating system
• Pages visited
• Date and time of access
• Referring website
• Usage statistics
• Cookies and similar technologies

The Platform enables users to contribute knowledge resources and participate in discussions.

Information you voluntarily publish—including discussion posts, comments, uploaded documents, presentations, datasets, or other contributions—may be visible to other registered users or the public, depending on the settings of the Platform.

Please avoid posting confidential or sensitive personal information in public areas of the website.

The Platform uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Remember user preferences
• Improve website performance
• Analyze website traffic
• Enhance user experience
• Maintain secure login sessions

You may disable cookies through your browser settings; however, some Platform features may not function properly.

The Platform may also use analytics tools that collect aggregated, non-identifiable information about website usage.

SEARCA does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

We may share information only when necessary with:

• Authorized SEARCA personnel
• Technology service providers supporting website operations
• Event partners, where required for activities you register for
• Government agencies or regulatory authorities when required by law
• Other parties with your explicit consent

All third-party service providers are required to protect your information appropriately.

SEARCA implements reasonable administrative, organizational, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

These measures include:

• Secure servers
• Encrypted communications where appropriate
• Access controls
• User authentication
• Regular system monitoring
• Security updates and maintenance

While we strive to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure.

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to:

• Provide Platform services
• Maintain user accounts
• Preserve institutional records
• Fulfill legal, contractual, and regulatory obligations

When information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymized in accordance with SEARCA’s records management and data retention policies.

Subject to applicable laws, including the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012, you have the right to:

• Be informed about the processing of your personal information
• Access your personal information
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Object to certain processing activities
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Request deletion or blocking of your personal information where legally applicable
• Lodge a complaint with the appropriate data protection authority

Requests may be subject to verification of identity and applicable legal requirements.

The Platform may contain links to external websites, partner organizations, publications, or databases.

SEARCA is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites. Users are encouraged to review the privacy policies of those websites before providing personal information.

The Platform is intended primarily for researchers, educators, students, development practitioners, policymakers, and professionals.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate authorization or parental consent where required by law.

As a regional knowledge platform serving Southeast Asia and beyond, your information may be accessed or processed by authorized personnel in different countries where necessary for the operation of the Platform.

SEARCA will ensure that such processing is carried out in accordance with applicable data protection laws and appropriate safeguards.

SEARCA may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, technology, or Platform services.

Any revisions will be posted on this page together with the updated effective date. Continued use of the Platform after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal information, you may contact:

Data Privacy Officer
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)
UPLB Campus, College, Los Baños 4031 Laguna, Philippines

Email: dpo@searca.org
Website: https://www.searca.org

For more information about SEARCA’s institutional data privacy practices, please refer to the SEARCA Data Privacy Statement.