Ilog Maria Honeybee Farms

Mankind has long valued honey as a natural sweetener and as a remedy for many different ailments. A collection of sweet nectar, enzymes, minerals, amino acids and minerals, honey is is one of Earth's most amazing substances. Like a symphony of tiny musicians, thousands of hardworking honeybees diligently collect nectar everyday to take back to their hive and create their golden sugary masterpiece.

The Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm has long been in the business of beekeeping and to this day they remain committed to sharing the amazing nutritional and healing properties of honey and bee products. The family farm has been producing high-quality bee products for three decades and are now passing that love and passion for beekeeping to the next generation. We speak to Jonathan Magsaysay and he gives us a glimpse into their farm and the art of Beekeeping.

Tell us all about yourself and Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm?

Perhaps the most asked question is how our farm got named. It is one of the many miracles in our farm that pushed us towards the direction of helping people through the wonderful world of honeybees.

My father told the story like this:

It was February 1987, it had not rained for 5 months, it was called El Niño. I called my mother long distance telling her the situation. All the black pepper, coffee and other crops that I had planted for the last four years, were dying.

She said, "sunduin mo ako, aakyat ako dyan sa farm, magdadasal ako, uulan." (Fetch me, I will go with you up to the farm, I will pray, it will rain.) My mother is a woman of few words and very strong faith.

She started praying the Holy Rosary at about 9:30 am. The three of us hardly ate lunch. I was with my girlfriend, Violaine.

At about 3 pm, it became very dark. Then we heard a clattering. Ice was falling as big as marbles on our tin roof and the ground. Then the thunderstorm, downpour - deluge. It lasted for about 30 to 45 minutes.

We heard my mother crying above it all. She had asked for, and was granted, a miracle.At about 430 pm she said, "iuwi mo na ako, sasabihin ko sa Papa