1st Honey Fair at SM Lipa, Success!

Lipa City – An estimated number of 6000 guests visited the 1^st Honey Fair of SM City Lipa held last February 17-22 at The Events Center of SM City Lipa.  The fair was participated upon by the Lipa Beekeepers Marketing Cooperative, Mira’s Honeyed Turmeric, Dielle’s Apiary and Meadery, Charlene’s Cakes, Cookies and Pastries, Flora’s Garden, The Bee Hive Farm and Kitchen and SM Supermarket.

The Lipa Beekeeper’s Marketing Cooperative was established for the selling and marketing of honey and honey by-products which are produced by its members.  Mira’s Honeyed Turmeric processes, packs and distributes turmeric products sweetened by honey.  Dielle’s Apiary and Meadery makes honey wine that is flavored by a variety of local fruits including coffee.  Charlene’s Pastries bakes cakes and pastries that is sweetened by honey.  Flora’s Garden is a plant nursery and landscaping business.  The Bee Hive Farm and Kitchen is a restaurant which serves honeyed dishes.

The fair also displayed some trivia about honey, bees and beekeeping.  The highlight of the fair is the interactive display of live bees and beekeeping equipment which fascinated both the young and not so young guests during the fair.  Three species of bees were put on display during the fair – the Apis cerana, commonly known as “laywan”; the Apis millifera or the European bees; and the Trigona, commonly known as “lukot”.  Each species of bee produces honey which are differentiated by its color, taste, texture and viscosity.

According to SM City Lipa’s Mall Manager Liza F. Dimaculangan, the fair aims to help out the local beekeepers of Lipa City while at the same time, make SM Lipa a venue for learning.  “Most children nowadays, wouldn’t know how a real bee looks like and why they (bees) are important for food production.  This fair is a chance for them to see real live bees in their honey comb without getting stung”, Dimaculangan said. Also present during the opening rites of the fair is Lipa City’s Assistant City Agriculturist Maria Lourdes Silva who intimated her appreciation to SM City Lipa for organizing and hosting the said honey fair. “To help out the local beekeepers of Lipa is a mutual trust of the Lipa City Agriculture Office, Lipa City Cooperative Office and Lipa City Mayor Meynard A. Sabili.”, Silva said.