Goodness Goes Full Steam Ahead at Human Nature's Manufacturing Plant!

Last September, Human Nature added another milestone: our very first manufacturing plant in Canlubang, Laguna!

Last September, Human Nature added another milestone: our very first manufacturing plant in Canlubang, Laguna!

Last September, Human Nature added another milestone to its journey of sharing the goodness to the world in the form of our very first manufacturing plant in Canlubang, Laguna. And like all great things, it took solid dedication, meticulous precision, and relentless bayanihan to give birth to what would be the first step towards revolutionizing world-class proudly-Filipino products.

Human Nature’s Manufacturing Plant at Canlubang, Laguna

Baptism by Typhoon Mario

Located at the corner of Excellence and Integrity (yes, those are real name streets) in Carmelray Industrial Park, Human Nature's manufacturing plant sits among industry giants who have practiced and perfected the art of manufacturing. But instead of being intimidated, team Carmelray – as most Human Nature employees have dubbed them – takes it all in stride. After all, you could say that despite being in its starting phase, they are no strangers to daunting challenges.

Just two days after officially starting operations at the plant, Typhoon Mario struck land in Metro Manila.  "I'll never forget that date," starts Senior Formulator Bless Gradia on recalling the events of September 19.

"We were already in Carmelray doing the cleaning and sanitizing of machines and whole production area. It was really easy to say 'Sorry Dylan, the plant is really not ready yet. This will not work. We need to postpone this.' But we felt the urgency, that we cannot just give up and say it’s too difficult," says Bless.

And sure enough, despite the heavy rains, strong winds, and the jolting thunders, the inextinguishable Filipino spirit shone through with the production of the first product, our Natural Hand Soap. Quality Assurance Microbiologist Elizabeth Sanchez shares the heartwarming first:

"It was midnight and my body was starting to feel exhaustion from too much standing. Despite that, being there at that very moment when the first product bulk was sampled was an experience. We were all like mothers who gave birth and touched her precious baby for the first time. The joy was overwhelming."

That day witnessed the first of the many more goodness that will come for Human Nature. Yes, team Carmelray knows it'll demand more from them – more hours, more energy, more sacrifices – but they know that everything they do goes beyond the walls of the plant.

(L-R) The filling for MammoMe | QA team checking the quality for each bottle of MammoMe

Taking Goodness to the Next Level

Being a beauty company that provides genuinely natural products, it's always a must to uphold high standards when it comes to our products' quality. "We have very strict cleaning and sanitization protocols," says Bless, "Natural products need more care to ensure absence of microbial and physical contaminants."

And ensuring that these protocols are met to the very last dot is difficult when working with third-party manufacturers (TPMs). There's also the issue of efficiency as with TPMs, we share their resources with other companies so what products are needed and how often they need to be produced are heavily dependent on this external factor.

It's when faced with these difficulties that it was decided to take matters into our own hands and take that leap forward in providing world-class Filipino products.

"It's always a challenge to start up your own manufacturing plant," says Elizabeth. Similar to developing new high-quality products, people from Quality Assurance and Research & Development assigned to the plant had to give the best output possible despite the limited resources. But even with the speed bumps of building our own plant from the ground up - of 24-hour shifts, starting production even with incomplete equipment, our own water system not installed yet, of no central air-conditioning (and even desks!) - we pushed through knowing that at the end of the day, it's all worth it. 

Sneak peek into our manufacturing plant’s warehouse. Soon, it’ll be the primary storage for all our products.

"The plant definitely will be the heart and core of Human Nature," explains Elizabeth, "It will be the central place of our operation because every bottle that will be produced here contains a touch of every department: Supply Chain for planning, QA for testing, Warehouse for distribution, and so on."

Team Carmelray: Bayanihan at its Best

Still a newcomer to the manufacturing industry, Team Carmelray is going through a steep learning curve but they leave no room for compromise when it comes to the running of the plant.

"On a normal day, my shift is 9AM to 6PM," starts Maintenance Supervisor Manny Macasojot, "but because the plant is still in its infancy, I need to do whatever I need to do. I'm not thinking in work hours for now."

Manny has only been in Human Nature for two months but he has already had many encounters with the power of bayanihan – one of the philosophies the company lives by. "At first, I'd get a bit surprised that my teammates would comfort me [when I'm stressed] because everyone here is so friendly to everyone. It's one for all, all for one in everything we do."

When asked, Manny summed up the past two months as “Mahirap pero masaya.” [Challenging but fun.]

The people of team Carmelray always take the extra step to lift everyone's spirits up, especially at their current 24-hour shifts with only a few hours of rest on Sundays. "We are trying our best to complete all requirements," says Bless. "This is so we can increase the plant’s productivity and efficiency in the coming weeks in preparation for the peak season."

Though production at the plant is in overdrive for now, the people are expecting to shift gears to 16-hour day shifts in the coming weeks once everything is stabilized. Even now, despite the many challenges, we are experiencing faster and smoother production as compared to when we were tapping third-party manufacturers. Indeed, goodness grows fast!

Building Better Lives Beyond Manila

The past few years have witnessed people from the provinces migrating to Metro Manila for better job opportunities. In the process, places beyond the capital are experiencing a drain in talented Filipinos that could aid in their economic progress and better quality of life. And this is exactly where our manufacturing plant's ultimate goal lies: to prove that building big dreams beyond Metro Manila is not just possible but can also be accomplished with tremendous results.

By providing benefits and competitive rates (far higher than the mandatory provincial minimum wage), Human Nature hopes to attract more Filipinos back to the provinces and be part of revolutionizing a growing economy that also lifts up the poor. It is our first resounding drumbeat announcing to the world that "Made in Philippines" – may it be from the big capital to the small provinces – can mean world -class excellence!

(L-R) Words of love and encouragement at the plant entrance | The QA team taking a break from their busy work for a group photo

*Some interviews were conducted in Filipino and were translated into English.