An ‘educational’ gift from Richard & Lucy

Among the interesting…and, I would add, “educational” gifts I got last Christmas came from Ormoc City Mayor Richard “Goma” Gomez and his wife, Ormoc City Rep. Lucy Torres, and their daughter Juliana.

Inside the beautifully-wrapped package were what they called “Ormocana” products with corresponding descriptions and directions (in case you get hold of them), notably the Ormocana Healing Liniment for aches and pains.

The Ormocana products they gave friends as Christmas gifts.

• Sikwate (Real Tablea from District IV, Leyte, Philippines) — Ingredients: 100 percent Pure Cacao hand-picked in the Municipality of Matag-ob. Directions: In a pot, dissolve one tablet for every cup of boiling water and simmer to desired consistency. Add sugar/milk/cream to taste. Sip slowly and think of many sweet happy thoughts.

• A Jar of Honey (accompanied by a “love story between flowers and bees, husband and wife,” written by the Gomez couple with daughter Juliana). Harvested gently in small batches from the backyard of our home in Ormoc City, Leyte, each jar of raw, pure honey is a gift from the heart.

First, we made sure that the bees enjoy fresh air and that they thrive happily in a garden full of lovely flowers they can feed upon for nectar. (It is said that honeybees must visit between 100-1,500 flowers in order to fill their honey sacs and that each honey sac can hold almost 70 mg. of nectar.) We have made sure to also provide sacred space where they may build their beehives. A devoted beekeeper looks after them full-time.

Richard started this little honey farm back in 2013, very shortly after the devastation of Typhoon Yolanda. He met the beekeeper literally in the streets of Ormoc, at that time of uncertainty and ruin, when hope was the only thing to hang on to. People needed employment, everyone needed a chance to pick up the pieces of their lives and begin again. This was a step in that direction.

Almost two years later, after we purchased the first bee colonies, this is what we have — a small batch of golden honey, harvested gently, respectfully. Each jar of the precious gooey liquid is as special as the creatures that make it. It took time, but then again, most good things do take time. More importantly, jobs and opportunities are created, more so when the little apiary we now have hopefully expands. All in God’s beautiful plan and time.

On a sweet note, between two people in love, HONEY is a favorite term of endearment, maybe because honey never spoils or goes rancid. Perhaps its acidity, its lack of water and the presence of hydrogen peroxide work synergistically in perfect harmony, allowing this naturally sweet, sticky treat to last forever.

It is with delight that we share My Honey with you and yours. May the days ahead be nothing short of magical and sweet.

P.S. We had a little excess honey to have a few bars of soap made as well. Enjoy!

By the way, did you know that Kalachuchi is the official flower of Ormoc City?

Written on the card sent by Goma and Lucy was this:

It is also the flower of hospitality, a befitting symbol for the city where a guest’s welcome is more than a greeting — it is an invitation to stay. The Kalachuchi is a mainstay in the modern florist’s arrangement, not only for its beauty but also for its unwavering strength. The plant can only catch fire in a 500-degree heat. This is why even in the hottest of summers, the Kalachuchi remains poised. In full bloom, the Kalachuchi is a comforting reminder of someone you know who has overcome life’s challenges with poetry and grace.

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