Engaging Local Knowledge on Wild Honeybees Toward Sustainable Livelihood and Ecological Conservation in the Cordillera Region, Philippines

The local knowledge and practices pertaining to wild honeybees in the Philippines are underreported and barely harnessed for development initiatives. This study documents the system of knowledge and practices on wild honeybees of the Cordillera indigenous peoples in Northern Luzon, with the end-goal of tapping into their potentials for sustainable livelihood and ecological management. Based mainly on ethnographic data from wild honey gatherers and maintainers, the findings report on four types of honey-producing wild bees that are exploited in the region, including their physical characteristics, habitat, and nesting and foraging behaviors. Likewise discussed are the practices involved in the hunting or managing of wild honeybee colonies and the harnessing of their by-products. Finally, several issues as well as potential areas for development are identified. Attending to these holds promise for sustaining the traditional economic engagement with wild honeybees while abetting ecological conservation in the region.