Sagada, Mt. Province – April 11, 2025 — Twenty-eight (28) beekeepers from across the Cordillera region successfully completed a five-day training on Technology Transfer on Genetic Breeding and Introduction to Artificial/Instrumental Insemination on Bees, held from April 7–11, 2025 at the Sagada Heritage Village, Sagada, Mountain Province.
This initiative marks a significant step in strengthening local apiculture, promoting eco-friendly farming, and empowering farmers with tools to adapt to environmental challenges and climate change.
Organized with the support of the Provincial Veterinary Offices of Benguet and Mountain Province, the training aimed to equip participants with modern beekeeping techniques, particularly instrumental insemination—a method that allows for a controlled mating in bees to enhance colony health, productivity, and genetic resilience.
Ms. Maribeth Ladu-an, Project Officer and Livestock Focal Person, emphasized in her overview that as agriculture evolves, so must apiculture. “Instrumental insemination is a crucial innovation. It enhances honey production and pollination efficiency, improves disease resistance, and supports the sustainability of bee populations,” she said.
Participants underwent a comprehensive blend of lectures and hands-on activities covering honeybee genetics, artificial insemination techniques, semen collection from mature drones, equipment setup, and insemination of virgin queens. Sagada Heritage Village beekeepers headed by the owner Mr. Jayson O. Cam-ed, served as resource persons, sharing firsthand experiences and demonstrating procedures.
During the closing ceremony, Ms. Grace Tindo Bongorngor of the Mababbalin Farmers Association expressed her gratitude. “This training showed us how sustainable and efficient beekeeping can be. It’s more than just honey—bees play a vital role in agriculture and food security. With modern techniques, we can secure the future of our bee colonies and our livelihoods,” she shared. //with Maribeth L. Ladu-an, Livestock Focal.
