Philippines: Retired district manager enjoys growing fruits and vegetables on his rooftop garden

Three kinds of lemons currently grow on Biado’s rooftop farm. These are Meyer lemons, variegated lemon, American lemon, and dayap.

By Patricia Bianca Taculao
Manila Bulletin
November 10, 2021

Excerpt:

After many years of working in a fast-paced or demanding industry, many retired employees opt to live a simple, laidback life. They often find this lifestyle through farming. While some choose to settle in the province to start farms, others prefer to stay in the comforts of their city home and utilize the available space to grow food.

The latter is what Arnel Biado, a 66-year-old retiree, chose to do. It has been six years since he retired, but before that, he worked as a district manager for United Laboratories, popularly known as Unilab. Now, Biado spends his time tending to the fruits and vegetables on his rooftop garden in Trinidad, Benguet.

Before he started his rooftop garden, Biado dabbled in ornamentals. He later switched to growing food crops for “gustatory satisfaction.” He added that the pandemic also inspired him to start thinking about food sustainability.

Biado cares for his crops using the basic knowledge he gained during his elementary and high school days. Yet he didn’t limit himself to what he learned from the past. The retired district manager also made use of modern technology by going on YouTube and social media to further his knowledge on his chosen hobby.

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