eFARM Academy: Exploring the Role of Agricultural Technologies and Innovations of Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines for Sustainable Education

The Philippines remains to have an agricultural-based economy, however, based on the report of Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) students enrolled in higher education institutions in the country offering agricultural courses went down. In light of this, this study examines the digital technology used in teaching and learning specifically the Agricultural Technologies and Innovations of Central Luzon State University in the Philippines through its program, Engaging Food and Agriculture Resources Management (eFARM) Academy. This is to further evaluate the engagement of the out-of-school youth in the agriculture sector. Using the data collected from the respondents, the study revealed that the digital technology used in teaching and learning with the three components of the program, namely, eFARM Grow, Kitchen, and Academy shared a significant positive impact on its local and international students especially in the application of Zero Waste Pig (ZWAP) Farming, Organic-Based Onion Production, Mushroom Production, Indoor Vertical Farming System, and Aquashade Technology. Further, it was found out that eFARM Academy allows local communities in Science City of Munoz to earn from the products produced after establishing its own eFARM technology. On the other hand, results also showed that the use of local language as a medium of instruction affects the learning of students while the use of English and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) allows international students to enroll in flexible learning and further engage in Agricultural Education.