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Written by Radel Llagas
Photos taken by Nataniel Bermudez and Alcris Rosita

Some thirty participants, composed of small beekeepers in Batangas and Laguna and experts from Bureau of Animal Industry, National Apiculture Research and Training and Development Institute (NARTDI), and University of the Philippines-Los Baños attended the Advance Beekeeping Course where Mr. Gerhard Pape, Senior Expert in Beekeeping of Programa Uitzending Manager (PUM) Netherlands, served as the sole resource person during the training course and shared his knowledge and practical tips in keeping and propagating bees.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Office No. IV-A Livestock Program, acting on the request of Lipa Beekeepers Marketing Cooperative (LBMC), spearheaded this activity held in Lipa Agricultural Research and Experimental Station (LARES), Lipa City, Batangas on March 12-16, 2018.

Prior to the commencement of the course, Pape visited and inspected bee farms of some of the participants in Lipa City and one in San Jose, Batangas to personally assess their respective bee farms and give recommendations.

Regional Executive Director Arnel V. de Mesa thanked the LBMC for actively pushing for the bee industry to grow by communicating with the DA to help advance their knowledge and improve their practice in beekeeping. He hopes that more and more farmers’ group, like the LBMC, will be more active in initiating activities like this one to better their respective industry or commodity.

“Rest assured that the Department of Agriculture will continue to give its full support in every endeavor of any farmers’ group to help develop our Agriculture as much as possible” RED de Mesa said.

Joey Tarnate, President of LBMC said, “We are very thankful that the DA through the help of Ma’am Vilma Dimaculangan (DA 4A – Livestock Program Coordinator) granted our request to have this training course on advance beekeeping considering the need for additional knowledge of our members to improve the quality of their respective beehives and help increase their production and profit.”

Vilma Dimaculangan encouraged all the participants to apply all the learning they acquired during the training and share it to others as well.

The training was also joined by Regional Technical Director for Operations and Extension Milo delos Reyes, Lipa Agricultural Research and Experimental Station Head and Regional Corn Coordinator Avelita Rosales, Operations Division Chief Dennis Arpia and PUM representative for South Luzon Dr. Maria Luz Enriquez.