A Trip As Sweet As (Coco) Nectar

Human Nature Global Ambassador Rachel Grant and PR Manager Tish Martinez-Castillo go on a sweet adventure to Mauban

Human Nature Global Ambassador Rachel Grant and PR Manager Tish Martinez-Castillo go on a sweet adventure to Mauban

by Tish Martinez-Castillo, with photos by Romel Dulay

“I should’ve done some warm up exercises,” I thought as I struggled to keep up with the wide strides of Rachel Grant, Human Nature’s Global Ambassador during our descent to a creek in Barangay Liwayway in Mauban, Quezon province. We were maneuvering down a slope filled with thick, dry bushes, small trees, and wild vines.

The trip down was made even more challenging by recent typhoons, which erased footpaths made by locals and made the sediment-filled soil surrounding the creek wet and slippery. My feet kept sinking in the mud as I picked my way through. It was not my most graceful moment. 

Just as we were about to give up and turn back, the bushes suddenly open up to reveal a truly inviting sight: gently flowing water sparkling in the afternoon sun. We quickly removed our sandals and our feet met the smooth, cool white stones that lined the creek’s banks. Brine shrimp, a main ingredient in pinais (a tasty Quezon delicacy made out of coconut meat, shrimp, and coconut milk) can be seen swimming in the creek. 

“Mauban is perfect. The creek is so clean. (The way down was) very thick and lush with coconut trees,” shared Rachel, who dove in as soon as we got to the shore. “Just a reminder about how rich the country is with natural resources. Everywhere there is something growing. There’s not a barren piece of land here in the Philippines.”

Rachel and I were in Quezon together with Mike Go, Human Nature’s head for Social Enterprise Development visiting Frank Regis and his wife Riza. The Regises own Uncle Frank’s Green Honey Processing Enterprises, which produces Dr. Gerry’s Coco Nectar and Uncle Frank’s Coco Nectar Jam in a facility located in Barangay Liwayway.  

A concentrated form of coconut sap, coco nectar is a sweet liquid that comes from the coconut flower. It is self-preserving, not needing any chemical preservatives, and packs more amino acids than animal protein, vegetables, or even bee honey. Coco nectar was discovered by nuclear physicist and inventor Dr. Gerry Macias. Gerry had been working with Frank as a technical consultant to coconut industry stakeholders.

“We had no plans for the property at first…but we saw the need to create something that would give people here employment, we wanted to make the land productive. This whole place is a work in progress,” explained Riza as we chatted at the creek side. The Regis property sits on a valley and is bounded by the creek on three sides. In addition to the coco nectar production facility, it also has huts suitable for family vacations or retreats, two labyrinth walks that help guests meditate or pray, and a small pineapple field. “We are adding more structures so more people can visit, perhaps host corporate team buildings or go family vacations.”

Proof of concept

At least 70 percent of Quezon province residents depend on coconut plantations to survive.

The national average income of coconut plantations producing copra and whole nuts is only Php900 per hectare per month. In contrast, plantations producing cocosap for coco nectar earn 7,500 pesos per month, almost. But by producing cocosap for coco nectar production, farmers get Php7,500 per hectare per month – that’s almost 8 times more what they can earn from copra. One liter of coconut nectar can be harvested from each tree per day.

“We help social enterprises scale up by providing them with tools, training, and of course --  a market,” explained Mike Go. Coco nectar sourced from Mauban is also an active ingredient in Human Nature’s natural shampoos and its Furry Kind Cocomutt Shampoo.

“After we started selling through Human Nature branches, our business has grown close to 500 percent,” beamed Frank. “While I’m talking with other coconut plantation owners so we can harvest more; one of the main challenges we have right now is finding enough mangagaret  (coco sap gatherers) to harvest the coco sap.” Frank’s production facility can process 400 gallons of coco sap each day, producing around 250kg of coco nectar.

Home sweet home

A few meters away from the coco nectar facility is a Gawad Kalinga village with over 200 residents. There, we met Vangie Catubig, a GK Kapitahayan leader.  Vangie hopes that the coco nectar plant will flourish and be able to employ more residents from the GK Liwayway Village.

“Kawalan po ng permanenteng trabaho ang number one naming problema dito (Many of us do not have permanent jobs, that’s our number one problem here),” she shared, quickly adding that they are trying to grow as much crops as they can in their community’s vegetable and fruit garden, dubbed ‘Bayan-anihan’, to ensure that no one goes hungry. Eggplant, okra, string beans, petchay, mustasa, and cassava are just some of the crops growing in GK Liwayway. 

Frank’s assistant, Jaycel delos Santos, is a resident of GK Liwayway. She shared that working in the coco nectar facility has greatly improved her family’s quality of life. “I can help send my siblings to school and save up for my future now,” she beamed.

It seems apt for a social enterprise to spring from a barangay named Liwayway (dawn).  Perhaps, dawn is truly breaking in a province that has been so wrapped in the darkness of poverty for decades.

[LEFT] Rachel Grant (back, in white), Mike Go (back, in black), and Tish Martinez-Castillo (right) with the children of GK Liwayway |
[RIGHT] Nelson Balmores of Padua Fund, Frank Regis, Riza Regis, Tish, Mike, and Rachel 

Inspiring others to do well

As Human Nature’s Global Ambassador, Rachel shares many of her experiences in the Philippines during speaking engagements and via her wide online base.

“It’s been a year since I was here and even in one year I can see that so many new products have been developed. I like to look at the new products – like what Tito Frank is doing and I feel really proud about it…because they’re from the Philippines…it’s inspiring,” enthused Rachel.

“I get a lot of emails  and Facebook messages, and I am surprised when they say: “Oh, you inspired me to do this, to join this marathon, to raise money for this purpose, or donate to GK villages, or people ask me all the time on how they can work for Human Nature…” I tell them, I am one of the people who have been inspired too by what Human Nature is doing.”

We also made a quick visit to Human Nature’s manufacturing plant in Carmelray, Laguna. Rachel added that in the future, her presentations will include how just wages and paying the right taxes are not roadblocks to a company’s growth. “I was thinking about how the Philippines has changed…it’s getting better! It’s all about the growth of goodness, working towards a better world.”

With businesses like Uncle Frank’s Green Processing Enterprises engaging more of the rural poor; the future of the Philippines looks so sweet, we can almost taste it.