Sweet Beginnings: Stingless Bee Guardians
Our journey starts at Annie's Stingless Bee Farm in Nagcarlan, where the air hums with tiny pollinators. Annie Joy de Roxas, president of the Nagcarlan Stingless Beekeepers Association, shows us intricate kayuan hives. "These lukot bees produce honey with way less sucrose but packed with antioxidants," she explains, offering a taste of their citrus-infused harvest.
"We train farmers to become bee guardians - each colony improves pollination for entire communities."
Annie Joy de Roxas showing stingless bee hives
Liquid Heritage: Esmeris Distillery
At Esmeris Lambanog Distillery, owner Victor Esmeris demonstrates the beginning to end of what it takes to make traditional lambanog. The process remains beautifully analog:
- 6AM sap collection
- Natural fermentation over a couple days
- Single distillation
Victor then takes us to their new location which will house their new still that processes not only his coconuts but those of the barangay which will soon be used to make FDA approved lambanog.
"We must find ways to keep with the times while keeping our tradition alive", Victor explains as he admires his new still and location.
Food meets practical innovation at UPLB
During our visit to the University of the Philippines Los Baños, we were captivated by the lush, verdant campus, where nature seamlessly blended with academic innovation. Strolling through the vibrant grounds, we immersed ourselves in the serene beauty of towering trees and sprawling greenery. At the fermentation lab, we marveled at cutting-edge experiments with local ferments, guided by professors passionately cataloging the Philippines' rich diversity of traditional fermented foods. We explored the practical food packaging facility, where students learn innovative techniques to preserve food quality, and discovered groundbreaking research aimed at addressing transportation challenges to maintain produce freshness. The highlight was our visit with the bee team, where we engaged in fascinating discussions about their research in stingless bees and joined a farm visit to assess hive health, witnessing firsthand their dedication to sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship.
Stingless bee hives that house much of the research the UPLB bee team is leading throughout Asia
