Documenting the current practices and knowledge of our partner honey hunters
This blog post is a work in progress.
PALUAN, Mindoro - Mt. Calavite Honey Hunters
June 2026
...katutubo hunters who have lived in their land for centuries with strong community ties
...they started honey hunting since their early teens and are now in their 30s and 40s, uncertain whether they'll pass on the craft to the next generation
...season starts April 15th of every year, a mutual agreement by all
...only the Mt. Calavite mountain range produces this specific honey
...following the bees, returning to last season's hives, and how they dibs the hives they find until honey hunting season starts
...most cold smoke but some still use open flames--bad practices of the "lazy" according to our honey hunters
...minimal clothing and hanging on for dear life, dangerous practices
...the skill of cutting the hive just right so that the bees can reconstruct, no more and no less
...honey that can make you drunk
TAGUM, Davao del Norte - Pa-Mati Honey Hunters
August 2026
...hunters from across Mindanao moving to honey hunting hotspots for better livelihoods, with some years' experience working in Manila
...one was taught by his uncle and in turn taught his friend, this duo has now been foraging wild honey together for almost 15 years
...season is all year round, peaking in Q2-3 of every year
...the entire Eastern Mindanao can be foraged for similar-tasting honey
...leads from copra friends, going back to old forage areas, no 'dibs'-ing here, but there's the 'lihim na salita' of other honey hunters
...small hives are not worth hunting, they leave them be
...cold smoking only, these hunters know how to take care of the bee colonies that support their livelihood
...covered up and harnessed to the rope, professional hunters
...the strategy of harvesting clean so the bees return or leaving bits of the hive so that they don't
...honey that's sweet and sour