And because of that, I became more interested about the role of bees in our biodiversity and sustainable lifestyle.
Overall, bees, together with other pollinators can help increase our yields, not only the tourism industry through farm and ecotourism products but the way we address the food supply challenges in the Philippines too.
And yes, there are still a lot to learn about the local bees but I hope this post sparks your interest to discover why BEEs matter.
MAY 20 is declared as the World Bee Day! The year’s theme is “Bee Engaged” is very timely as the world got hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and this had undeniable impact on the beekeeping sector even in the Philippines. United Nations have been celebrating this day since 2018 with a specific focus on bee production and good practices adopted by beekeepers to support their livelihoods and deliver good quality products. |
My childhood memories will never be complete without my bittersweet experiences with native bees. There used to be a beehive in my grandparents house and I always end up getting sting, almost every day!
This day provides an opportunity for all of us – whether we work for governments, organizations or civil society or are concerned citizens – to promote actions that will protect and enhance pollinators and their habitats, improve their abundance and diversity, and support the sustainable development of beekeeping.

Milea Bee Farm is an organic farm, DOT accredited farm tourism site and a DA-ATI Learning Site that manages different species of bees. They are located in San Jose, Batangas and one of the stakeholders that promotes the best practices in beekeeping.
Sustainable Development Goals 2030 in action
As I listened during the #MileaBeeFarm sharing and business model discussion, it made me realize that through their beekeeping training and support to other communities and farmers, they are also actually contributing to #SDG4 Quality Education and #SDG8 Decent Work and Economic Growth. | |
BEE a sustainable advocate, nurture the bees!
Bees, the ambassadors of pollinators
Most of the 25,000 to 30,000 species of bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) are effective pollinators, and together with moths, flies, wasps, beetles, and butterflies, they make up the majority of pollinating species. But the diversity of pollinators and pollination systems is striking.
Indeed, there are also vertebrate pollinators, including bats, non-flying mammals (such as several species of monkey, rodents, lemur, tree squirrels, olingo, and kinkajou) and birds (hummingbirds, sunbirds, honeycreepers and some parrot species).
Current understanding of the pollination process shows that, while specific relationships exist between plants and their pollinators, healthy pollination services are best ensured by an abundance and diversity of pollinators. Source www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day
Why Asian honey is 'medicinal honey'? Read this Rappler article written by a good friend, Mavic Conde. I saw her post in FB so I became aware of the World Bee Day celebration today. |
I firmly believe that by being more aware about beekeeping and the importance of bees in our lives, we can now actively choose to live a sustainable lifestyle.
Let's accelerate sustainable development goals and best practices while putting organic Farm Tourism as a key pillar to our post-pandemic recovery and sustainable growth. Sabi nga eh, BEE healthy, stay happy!
KIWOT, a native stingless bee, has become an attraction at Balay Buhay sa Uma Bee (BBU) Farm, techno-demo farm for kiwot beekeeping located at brgy. San Roque in Bulusan, Sorsogon.
For now, I will enjoy the locally sourced honey I bought in my previous trips and BEE thankful for this natural golden sweets left in the kitchen.
Can you BEE my HONEY? Back in Noverber 2014, I was able to visit the Regional Apiculture Center in Pili #CamSur together with #DreamBicol team where I was able to know about the stingless bees and how it can be a source of livelihood for the community. So that was my first interaction with kiwot. I was amazed! |