A former casino worker's journey to a greener future

Career shifts are fairly common, but they become more compelling when someone takes a path they never saw coming. Such is the case for Rolet Cunanan, a 36-year-old agribusiness owner and content creator who found her purpose, and a life she never expected to love, through farming after leaving behind a career in the gaming industry.

- By PAM PASCUAL

“I never imagined that I would go into farming because it’s far from my personality. When I thought of farming before, I pictured the traditional way, exposed to heat and sunlight,” Cunanan said in Filipino.

Despite having no agricultural background, Cunanan launched Magalang Hydroponics Farm in 2023 in Barangay Ayala, Magalang, Pampanga. The 20-square-meter farm started with just six styrofoam boxes, each growing 15 heads of lettuce.

A pandemic pivot to hydroponics

Cunanan began her career in the casino industry in 2009, working locally and abroad. Her last job was in Cambodia, which she left in 2020 when the company closed, prompting her return to the Philippines.

During the pandemic, she came across hydroponics on social media. “I saw hydro. I thought, it’s agriculture, but interesting. I wanted to learn more. I was amazed at how it grows crops,” she said.

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, using nutrient-rich water. Plants are supported by inert materials like perlite or coco coir and fed through a water-based solution.

For three months, she studied on her own. “It wasn’t easy as a beginner. There were very few people doing it back then, and hardly any resources or training available, unlike now.”

Seedlings and strategy