Episode 5: Secrets of Stingless Beekeeping with Emil Climaco

Chit Juan hosts an interesting conversation with Emil Climaco, who reveals his journey into the world of Stingless Beekeeping. Learn about the differences between Stingless Bees and European Bees, and discover the various types of bees found in the Philippines. Emil also discusses the valuable by-products of beekeeping beyond honey, offering tips and strategies for successful beekeeping. Explore the essential role of pollination in farming and get expert advice on how to select the best wild honey. Perfect for aspiring beekeepers and honey enthusiasts alike, this episode provides a deep dive into the world of bees and their vital contributions to agriculture.

GUEST BIO:

Emil Climaco is the proud owner of CHEFerd's farm, the first in the CALABARZON and the first in the Philippines to be a PGS organically certified stingless bee farm. CHEF stands for the four principles of Organic Agriculture (Care, Health, Ecology and Fairness). Emil focuses on organic soil amendments and bees and has been a beekeeper since 2016. He is currently the President of SIPAG Pagsanjan (Samahan ng Industriya ng Pag-gugulayan), Secretary of SIPAG Laguna, and also one of the Core members of SOIL (Samahan ng Organikong Idustriya ng Laguna).

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Emil Climaco’s journey into beekeeping
• Understanding Stingless Beekeeping
• Valuable by-products of beekeeping beyond honey
• Stingless Bees vs. European Bees: Key differences 
• Bee species in the Philippines
• Successful beekeeping strategies
• Pollination’s role in farming
• Choosing the best wild honey

QUOTES:

• “The byproducts of these bees number one is honey pero sa totoo lang, ang economic value ng honey ay mababa lang sya.  If you compare it to making value added products, for example, honey soap, then  concoctions like propolis spray, propolis serum. So, there is honey, there is propolis, and there is pollen mainly dito sa stingless bees.” - Emil Climaco
• “Stingless Bee  is  very manageable siya and very minimal yung  pag maintain.” - Emil Climaco
• “I encourage everyone to go into beekeeping kasi nagkakaroon ka ng advocacy na dapat mga kapit-bahay mo hindi mag-spray kasi ang survival ng bees mo ay dependent sa kapit-bahay.” - Emil Climaco
• “You have to be sustainable, both environmentally and economically. Environmentally, you have to care for our planet and also the people. And economically, of course, we need to earn from the things that we love to do for the environment.” - Emil Climaco

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Follow CHEFerd’s Farm on Facebook and Shopee.
• How to Test if Honey is Pure, Adulterated or Fake [video]

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