Honey production project kicks off in Puerto Princesa

The city government of Puerto Princesa sponsored recently a three-day bee keeping seminar workshop in line with the city’s latest livelihood project on honey production. Mayor Edward Hagedorn said he hopes to make the city one of the best honey producers in the country. Hagedorn invited the University of the Philippines Los Baños bee program pioneers led by Dr. Cleofas Cervancia and her team as trainors of the program.

Long time friend of the mayor, Willy Ong was appointed honey production project director. He said prior to the seminar, "we already pinpointed 20 beneficiaries of the program. These recipients are the pilot who will be the ‘nursemaids’ for the nucleus colonies that we have. Their task is to be able to reproduce the colony which will in turn be given to the next batch of beneficiaries."

The Apis Andredeformis is the type of the bee endemic to the island. According to Dr. Cervancia "Palawan as a whole is a good area for bee culture and bee keeping. We welcome the move of the city government in pursuing this as a livelihood project. Our involvement with it does not end after the seminar; we are on call to assist all starting beekeepers. For it is also our goal to make beekeeping as a viable industry."

The seminar gathered 50 participants from private and government institutions, entrepreneurs and farmers. The group expressed their enthusiasm and interest in pursuing bee keeping as an alternative business opportunity.