LOS BAÑOS, Laguna --The COVID-19 pandemic trained a spotlight on the interconnectedness of the health of people, animals, and the environment—also known as One Health.

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) thus chose to focus the 2021 SEARCA Photo Contest on “One Health is Wealth: Healthy Agriculture and Sustainable Food One Health is Wealth: Healthy Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems.”

Now on its 15th year, the SEARCA Photo Contest invites photographers from the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries to submit their best shots depicting One Health applications to agricultural and rural development (ARD), particularly those featuring sustainable food systems in this time of pandemic.

Images that depict One Health may include interactions between humans, animals, and their surroundings, which could be nature, farm or other agricultural settings, during the pandemic. They could also be pictures of youth or farming families contributing to One Health or images of healthy diets, improved nutrition, and food safety through One Health in agriculture.

Entries may also that capture sustainable or environmentally harmonious food systems that demonstrate One Health and safeguarding animal health amid the pandemic. Photos that show environmental awareness and protection at the farm level in pandemic conditions are also welcome.

Cash prizes of US$1,000, $800, and $500 await the winners of the first, second, and third prizes. The SEARCA Director’s Choice and Philippine Department of Education Secretary’s Choice winners will each get $500, while the winner of the People’s Choice Award via Facebook votation will walk away with $400. To mark the 15th milestone year of the SEARCA Photo Contest, there will also be two special awards tagged Best Youth Photographer, one who used a camera and another who used a mobile phone. Each will take home $300.

The contest is open to both professional and amateur photographers. Those who wish to join may submit an unlimited number of photo entries as long as they meet the photo contest specifications.

All entries must be submitted to SEARCA online via https://photocontest. searca.org until 30 November 2021.