Arsenio B. Ella1, Emmanuel P. Domingo1, Florena B. Samiano2
1Researchers, Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI),
2Department of Science and Technology (DOST), College, Laguna 403

One important non-timber forest product (NTFP) from the local communities in Palawan are wild honey. Nagkakaisang Tribu ng Palawan (NATRIPAL), an association of indigenous people in collaboration with Forest Products Research and Development Institute – International Tropical Timber Organization (FPRDI-ITTO) Project worked hand-in-hand to gather the experiences and insights of the local people in the establishment and operation of wild honey gathering, trading and marketing. Moreover, the study aimed to improve and recommend appropriate technical skills along indigenous peoples (IPs) expertise and collection practices of wild honey. The study was carried out in 3 sites which were strategically distributed in the entire island-province. Assessment of the areas and interviews of IPs knowledgeable in the actual gathering, processing and trading of wild honey thus made up the methodology.

Honey gathering has been an integral part of IPs existence suffices it to say that it is a part of their culture and rituals. NATRIPAL in collaboration with FPRDI-ITTO based project brought Palawan’s indigenous communities the idea of community organizing, giving priority to the livelihood concerns of honey gatherers and traders. Honey gathering, as an enterprise, is a very viable activity at the level of the gatherer. The technology offers the following advantages: a) low capital input; b) high returns per unit of time spent; and c) low technical requirement needed by the gatherer.

The interaction between NATRIPAL and FPRDI has enlightened the IPs on the possibility of self-determination and the importance of their tenurial holdings, thus maintaining their hold on the forest resources on which their livelihood is anchored. The Palawan traditional forest-related knowledge and practices (PTFRKP) are a function of the need for these IPs to survive. These may not have scientific basis but in a way capable of protecting the natural resource base of the environment.