𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦: 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗬’𝗦 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦

Most often, people see retirement as a time to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor. But for some, it is a way of reinvention and exploring things that are different from what they are used to do. Mr. Danilo S. Dionisio, called by many as “Mang Danny,” the owner of Mang Danny’s Organic and Natural Farm is one of those people who found new hobbies far from what he usually does.

Establishment of the Farm

Mang Danny is a retired Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who worked as a programmer in Saudi Arabia. When he got home from the Middle East, he ventured into a computer business wherein he assembled and sold computers to various private companies and government agencies. Because of his hard work, he was able to purchase a piece of land in the Philippines.

Mang Danny shared that when he reaches the age of retirement, all he wants to do when he retires is to enjoy and be fulfilled with what he is doing.

“I’m now 69 years old and I opted to live at the farm which I found to be worthwhile, a very conducive place to live in, especially to those with the same age bracket as mine,” shared Mang Danny.

In 2019, Mang Danny started to attend different training and seminars offered by the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center III (ATI-RTC III) which gave way for his desire to push through and develop his farm even if it is far from his old job.

A year later, he is already equipped with enough agricultural knowledge. He also started cultivating the Mang Danny’s Organic and Natural Farm in Paombong, Bulacan where it became one of the Accredited Learning Sites for Agriculture by ATI-RTC III in 2021. His farm offers different commodities where they culture tilapia, milk fish, and shrimp for their aquaculture. Furthermore, he has also Peking duck, Black Australorp, Rhode Island Red, and free-range chickens for their poultry and livestock and they also cultivate fruits and vegetables organically.

He also shared, “Because of my training in ATI, binigyan kami ng idea how to make my farm like a business. I am the entrepreneur as a farmer and my farm is my business.” His area became a favorite fishing spot for the public which was a big help to Mang Danny to sustain his farm.

Best Practices of Mang Danny’s Organic and Natural Farm

Mang Danny described how they practice organic agriculture on their farm. “The way I farm, hindi nakakasira ng soil even after a year dahil hindi naman ako gumagamit ng synthetic fertilizers,” he emphasized.

Moreover, what’s best in Mang Danny’s Organic and Natural Farm is how they feed their fish and their livestock.

As part of Mang Danny's feeding practice, he uses azolla and duckweed, known as "kiapo" in Bulacan, to feed their fish. He also incorporates the azolla and kiapo into the rice bran for their livestock’s consumption.

Social Impact

In operating his farm, he believes that it is not just for his own good or his family. His farm also has an impact on their community.

“Yung farm ko masasabi ko na I am helping the community indirectly by giving them healthy food since my farm is organic and they are sure na ‘yun ay good for health,” he blurted out.

Aside from providing healthy food, he generates employment opportunities to the people in nearby barangays. He is helping those people who are jobless since he is the one who pushes them to gather azolla and duckweed for him to buy.

Furthermore, through his initiative in using the azolla and kiapo in his farm, he influenced his co-farmers in their community to use it instead of animal feed.

Even though farming is way far from what he used to do in his younger years, Mang Danny is thankful for the people behind his success for equipping him with the knowledge to venture into a new opportunity. When Mang Danny explored to do something worthwhile in his retirement years, he stumbled upon farming which made his life happy and fulfilled.

Written by: Juliene DC. Pagaduan