Gigi Morris is multifunctional family farmer, passionate TVET educator and a sustainability advocate. Prior to starting MOCA Family Farm RLearning Center Inc, a Technical Vocational Institution in the Philippines, she spends her international career in apparel industry working in the areas of product development and design; production and manufacturing; and finally, sourcing and retailing.

Combining agriculture education with digital technology as an educator, she believes that sustainable family farming must be anchored on economic viability as well as ecological integrity and social equity. This means formation of local multi-functional family farms investing in education, relevant skills training and enterprise creation that contributes to the rural development of their communities.

She earned her Business Administration degree at Nevada State College and currently completing Interdisciplinary Studies on Education and Leadership with minor in Education Technology. She was awarded the Women of the Future – Mentor Category in 2020 by Women of the Future Southeast Asia.

Family Farm Schools: Drivers for Sustainable Education and Rural Development through TVET Programs

Presentation

In the Philippines, with United Nations declaring 2019-2028 as the Decade of Family Farming, renewed attention has recently been given to the importance and the role of traditional small-scale family farms. Farm Tourism Development Act (Philippines Republic Act No. 10816) have capacitated many family farms to venture as Farm Schools or a Technical Vocational Institute (TVI) offering Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET).

One of the pioneers in the Philippines using the ATVET as their flagship program is Moca Family Farm RLearning Center Inc. (MFFRLCI). The Morris couple, Bob and Gigi are family farm owners in the Philippines. Robert Morris is a Professor Emeritus as University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Gigi Morris is a homeschool educator and spent several years in various manufacturing work environments. Retiring in the Philippines, they started a TVI, with the objective of contributing to rural development through technical vocational education and training. Started in 2016, the TVI has now produced more than a thousand TVET graduates, employs eight full-time employees, part-time trainers, and provides part-time work for many rural women, men and youth in their local community.

Agriculture has a special role in the economic development of the Philippines, especially because it represents an important source of income to many rural dwellers. Furthermore, it plays the important role in rural development enabling use of local resources and development of small and medium business activities in different sectors and industries. However, the development of the existing local industry is hampered by very little or lack of related and relevant technical vocational trainings. Starting a Farm School or an Agricultural TVI incentivized many family farm owners, many of whom are professionals, retiring from their careers and with valuable industry experiences to become workforce educators by going back to their rural communities.

This paper aims to show the ability and potential of family farms as TVIs in spearheading sustainable Technical Vocational Education and Training and how they can contribute their impact to the rural development of their local communities. This paper will also analyze the sustainability of TVI operations in rural communities, including obtaining scholarship grants and other funds from rural development policies, using the MFFRLCI model and other existing family farms.

Contact Details

Moca Family Farm RLearning Center
Padre Garcia, Batangas, Philippines 4224

Office Landline: (63)43-515-7194
www.mocafamilyfarmrlearnincenter.com
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Email address: admin@mocafamilyfarmrlearningcenter.com