"The art of beekeeping is knowing when there is a surplus and knowing how to harvest the surplus."
-Joel Magsaysay, owner of Ilog Maria
When I was a child, I always wonder how it feels like Tinkerbell and other fairies. I wondered how will I be taking care of the plants, animals, and insects. I've always thought of being like the size of Thumbelina, talking to bees and directing them where the nectars and pollens are. Even after finishing college, I always wondered when and where I could see honeybee farms.
Those were always part of my daydreams until December 29, 2015. I am so lucky to have a guy whose wanderlust runs on his veins. In fact, while I was busy looking on the beauty products of GOURMET CAFE at GOURMET FARMS (I'll create a separate post for it), he was searching for other must see places nearby, thanks to his fast mobile data connection. I was a bit shocked when he told me that we will go to a place named Ilog Maria. I don't have swimming clothes. Are we going to swim? Is it a river-themed park? Whaaat? River near this cafe? Is he serious? Those were the things that ran through my mind. I was ecstatic when I heard that Ilog Maria is a honeybee farm. Yeah! One of my bucket list item was ticked off before this year ended!!!
WHAT TO SEE
Aside from the store and farm, you'll see a lot of honeybees, dogs, cats, and roosters.
THE STORE
I believe that this place being visited by many people a lot of times. Suki kumbaga.
Aside from the store and farm, you'll see a lot of honeybees, dogs, cats, and roosters.
THE STORE
I believe that this place being visited by many people a lot of times. Suki kumbaga.
some of the products
Bee Pollen for healthy living
honey soap
the honeybee store
Beeswax
THE PEOPLE
"Behind every quality product is a genuine heart and meticulous hand."
THE FARM
Is Tinkerbell inside?
Say no to pollution. Be the solution.
Honeybee farm with my travel buddy
ILOG MARIA APITHERAPHY
As their site indicates, it is the use of bee products to help detoxify your system and bring your body's biochemistry back into balance. Apitherapy best prepares your body for Bee Sting Therapy; as it employs foods of the bees. This helps your auto-immune system do it's primordial task of protecting you from disease. This also helps abate the symptoms of disease. Your body regains balance and heals itself. We do not process our bee products in any way that will diminish their effectiveness.
First, we must always remember that our beehive products are not ours. They belong to our honeybees, who use it to nourish, maintain and protect themselves. Second, we must always remember that there are seasons in the year where honey, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, pollen and bee venom are in abundance; there are seasons when these are just enough, sometimes not enough, for our honeybees.
HONEY - best for staunching bleeding of even the most serious wounds, relieving pain of even the worst burns, preventing excessive scarring of wounds and burns, relieving digestive disorders, easing constipation and strengthening against asthma attacks
BEE POLLEN - best for aiding nutrition with readily absorbable vitamins and minerals, boosting endurance & stamina, losing weight, regulating digestion & elimination, improving night vision and correcting erectile dysfunction
ROYAL JELLY - best for feeding the glands in your endocrine system and balancing hormones, easing stress and tension, improving sleep, and enhancing fertility
PROPOLIS - best for boosting your immune system, coughs, colds, fever and asthma, inflammation or swelling, urinary tract disorders, inflamed wounds and burns and general detoxification
BEE VENOM - best for Rheumatism, tendonitis, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, backpain and body aches & pains,improving eyesight, multiple sclerosis,psoriasis, and cancer
really included this pic since it was my first time HAHAHAHAHHA!!!
WHY ILOG MARIA
taken from their site
"...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 mo."(bring me home, I'll tell your Papa." We had to engage the four wheel drive of my old Land Cruiser as we left. The muddy ground was very slippery. When we reached the highway, 700 meters away, it was dry. It was dry up to Manila.
Violaine and I had gotten married the next month after that miraculous downpour. Fast forward to 1994. I had gone to town to the local office of the Department of Trade and Industry. We were applying for a trade name for our little livelihood.
They asked me what name to give. I said I would ask my wife. We agreed that it was to be "Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm" in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary with whom my mother, Lilia, had prayed for rain. It was to be an auspicious name for us.It was to be the start of our journey to the Lord. A journey marked with many signs as wondrous as this first one. A continuing journey..."
HOW TO GO THERE
taken from their site
"...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 mo."(bring me home, I'll tell your Papa." We had to engage the four wheel drive of my old Land Cruiser as we left. The muddy ground was very slippery. When we reached the highway, 700 meters away, it was dry. It was dry up to Manila.
Violaine and I had gotten married the next month after that miraculous downpour. Fast forward to 1994. I had gone to town to the local office of the Department of Trade and Industry. We were applying for a trade name for our little livelihood.
They asked me what name to give. I said I would ask my wife. We agreed that it was to be "Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm" in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary with whom my mother, Lilia, had prayed for rain. It was to be an auspicious name for us.It was to be the start of our journey to the Lord. A journey marked with many signs as wondrous as this first one. A continuing journey..."
HOW TO GO THERE
Address: KM 47, Aguinaldo High way, Buho, Silang, Cavite
Store hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 8:30AM to 5:30PM -CLOSED ON MONDAYS
Upon reaching KM 47 Aguinaldo Highway, look for the Petron gas station. Ilog Maria signage is across the gas station. Then you'll see this. Follow the path until you'll reach the destination. Actually, that's how we find places. Get the exact address. Go on the road. Use maps and location if lost. Ask the locals. aaaaanddddd... follow the path as well as your heart. :)
THE VERDICT
It is a place for honeybee products, may it be soap, cider, and pollen. The products are worth the travel. Their products can be used in Apitheraphy. If any chance on the Earth that time doesn't permit you on hitting the road, you may order online on www.ilogmaria.com Aside from the honeybee products, there's nothing more to see.
I'll go back there maybe in May to buy my dad honey and honeybee products because he is a huge fan. He can munch a bottle of honey alone. =)
I love their "Living Naturally" legacy. Being in the same shoe for Earth conservation is a plus factor to me. They do rain harvesting, use of biodiesel, windmill, solar panels, and wind turbine.
I liked it when the children there waved us goodbye with a grin. For us, it is a reflection of good management and culture inside the farm. Some things are really better seen by the eyes and not through the lens.
Stay tuned!
ganda naman
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