Leyte town starts mass production of honey

HILONGOS, LEYTE, Philippines – Apiculture, the raising of bees for commercial production of honey, has been started in this town when the Lamak Beekeeper’s Association formally opened an apiary in Bgy. Lamak on February 9.

The opening of the apiary was attended by Dr. Apolonio Sito, executive director of the National Apiculture Research Training and Development Institute, and municipal and labor officials.

Sito, who came all the way from NARTDI in Bacnotan, La Union, expounded on the importance of bees in balancing the ecosystem by pollination. “Bees play a major role in reforestation and plant production, increasing plant yield and maintaining the balance of our ecosystem,” he said.

NARTDI would be supporting the endeavor of Lamak, he said, because the institute is mandated, by Republic Act 9151, to establish apiaries for honey and by-products, train beekeepers and apiculturists, conduct research and extend technologies to industry stakeholders. 

Mayor Jose Emery Roble shared his plans for honey production in his town. “It is always my objective to have a healthy community, so I instructed the municipal health department to reduce orders of synthetic medicines and do more research on the potential of honey as natural vitamin and cure especially for women and children.”

Roble said he was confident that LBA could deliver the goods by May, the scheduled first harvest of honey from 40 colonies of cultured bees.

LBA president Jeffrey Mendoza, also the lot owner of the apiary site, said the mayor earlier sent him to Bohol for training on apiculture.

DOLE senior labor employment officer Rosalinda Betuin, for her part, told LBA members that the agency supported honey production enterprise by extending funds to it, and assured them of more support through the community enterprise program.