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 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends, June had been a super eventful month highlighted by the visit of President Noynoy Aquino at the GK Enchanted farm last June 24 which also coincided with the opening of the Human Nature Enchanted Farm Outlet Store. Despite the whip-lashing winds and heavy downpour, the president stayed true to his commitment and arrived 30 minutes earlier than expected to a jampacked audience of GK residents, local and international student interns, young social entrepreneurs, GK partners and local and national government officials. Being amongst them gave one the feeling that we are entering a new age of social entrepreneurship where patriotic business leaders no longer just see profit as the end-all and be-all of business but as a means towards social and environmental progress. Guests sampled and marvelled at the many world-class products showcased at the farm such as gourmet goat's cheese, artisan chocolates, bamboo bicycles, savory sauces and of course Human Nature products. Through the example of social enterprises under the umbrella of GK Center for Social Innovation, we plan to to inspire 500,000 social entreprenuers within the next 6 years to change the face of business in the country and blaze the trail for sustained progress that does not leave the poor in our country behind. In other news, we are happy to give you an update on our initiatives in the Citronella farming community in Bicol where we have devoted almost 1M from the profits of the Citronella Bug Spray for community development. Read below for the latest report on our progress in the community. We would also like to welcome dealers into our newest Human Nature Branches in Imus Cavite, Malolos, Bulacan and Bacolod City Negros Occidental! These branches are operated by very energetic, passionate and knowledgeable branch staff who will be happy to service dealer needs in their respective areas. Please see the announcement below on the target openings and we hope to see you there! May we all have a wonderful month! Keep dry and be healthy! In the service of love and country,  Anna Meloto-Wilk President Gandang Kalikasan Inc. II. UPDATES A. Launch of the Yellow Entrepreneurs at the GK Enchanted Farm  Last June 24 marked yet another milestone not only for Human Nature but also for for Gawad Kalinga (GK), as His Excellency Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino, together with the members of the economic cluster of the Cabinet, paid a visit to the GK Enchanted Farm. Despite the heavy rain that Typhoon Falcon brought, no one's spirits were dampened. There were only positive and empowering vibes and energy in the air as everyone gathered to take part in being a solution rather than being part of the economic problem in the country that's led to the current poverty situation.  The launch of the "Yellow Entrepreneurs" showcased the many wonderful local social enterprises headed by young Filipinos who are determined to make a change and create wealth in this country rather than seek jobs abroad. There were baskets made from rattan by the RattanMan, yellow salted eggs from Golden Eggs, a healthy refreshing drink made with extracts from lemongrass, kalamansi, avocado, duhat and pandan from Enchantea and many other social enterprises including Human Nature, a model for a successful large-scale social enterprise, who opened the Human Nature Center to the public. A wide variety of natural and organic personal care products and mineral makeup were on display and sold to Filipinos and foreigners alike, showing that Philippine-made products are truly world class.  You too will be able to see and experience the magic Enchanted Farm has to offer because we're proud to announce that on November 19 this year, the 2nd Human Nature Summit will be held there! More details on this will be announced later on so do keep an eye out for our updates! ☺  B. Flower Power  We're bringing hippie back! Flower power is definitely back... back on top that is! Our Sunflower Seed Beauty Oil is one of our top-selling products to date due to its many uses and effectivity. Whether you're a first time user or a long-time loyal follower of Human Nature, we're pretty sure that the Sunflower Seed Beauty Oil is most likely the one product (among many others of course) that got you "hooked".☺  From removing stubborn waterproof mascara to lightening scars and minimizing the appearance of stretch marks, we're finding more and more ways on how others use this miracle product. Because of the new discoveries of uses for this, demand for Sunflower oil has shot up. So, over the past few months, our team has been working with Central Luzon State University to learn more about the cultivation and extraction of the sunflower seed oil and the University of the Philippines - Los Banos to learn more about the refinement of the oil. We hope that early next year, we will be cultivating, extracting and refining sunflower seed oil alongside passion fruit seed oil in GK Catigan, Davao.  Aside from working together with Central Luzon State University to learn more about the cultivation and extraction of the sunflower seed oil and the University of the Philippines - Los Banos to learn more about the refinement of the oil, our team is also reading up on more international studies with the hopes that early next year, we will be cultivating, extracting and refining the sunflower seed oil from GK Catigan, Davao. C. On a 'Natural' High In this green-conscious world that we live in nowadays, more and more people are becoming more aware of the dangers of chemicals in our everyday products. From shampoos, toothpastes, deodorants, facial cleansers and even makeup, more people are on the lookout for natural alternatives that won't harm their health. The main questions here though are, what exactly does natural mean and how does a product qualify to be considered natural? According to the Natural Products Association in the USA, in order for a product to be considered natural, 95% of its ingredients (excluding water) must be natural, meaning the ingredient must come from a renewable resource with no petroleum compounds and be processed in a way which is not damaging to the environment. Also, a product labelled natural should avoid any ingredient with a suspected human health risk and should not test on animals. Lastly, a product labelled natural should use biodegradable ingredients and packaging that's recyclable.  Now that we have that sorted out, you're probably thinking, well, that makes life a whole lot easier. Not quite. Because even with all these criteria in place, it's still hard to point out and determine which products are genuinely natural and which are still mainly chemical-laden with a few natural ingredients thrown in. Why? It's because there's NO regulatory body to keep an eye on products claiming to be natural. So don't be deceived! So what can we do to help ourselves? READ THE LABEL! A product that contains 95% synthetic chemicals and 5% natural ingredients DOES NOT make it natural. The top chemicals to look out for when reading the labels on personal care products are parabens, propylene glycol, SLS, SLES, synthetic fragrances, parfum, mineral oils and triclosan among many others. When reading the label, also remember that ingredients are listed in terms of the percentage used so the higher it is on the list, the more of that ingredient was used. Let's all be vigilant, responsible and knowledgeable shoppers. Share what you know and make sure to be conscious of what you buy. After all, 60% of what we put on our skin goes into our skin. Visit www.humanheartnature.com for more details. There, you'll be sure to get only the good! III. Community Development A.One Heart for One Community Infrastructure and Community Development Projects
B. Head Office staff visits Citronella Farming Community Last July 1, a group of Human Nature employees from different departments went to Brgy. Kanapawan, Labo, Camarines Norte to visit the farming community where 100% of our citronella oil is sourced. Arriving at around 5 in the morning, the team was welcomed by their hosts from the farmer cooperative after which, the adventure began.  The processing center is located at the center of the citronella plantation where farmers can easily converge and deliver their produce for extraction. It is a 30-minutehike from the main road and up the mountain which includes crossing a river and passing by muddy and undulated terrains. The challenge of the hike was worth it upon being invited to savor fresh coconut juice and meat newly harvested just for the team. Joan Icotanim of the SED department conducts monthly visits to Kanapawan as she handles the One Heart for One Community (OHOC) program of Human Nature. According to her, she feels very excited to see progress happening in the community not only in the infrastructure but also in the values of the farmers. A first-timer to Kanapawan, Bless Medina from R&D felt herself fortunate to be given the chance to witness firsthand the developments of the OHOC program. She was amazed by how the farmers were able find a way to build even with limited resources and how their determination was able to sustain their production of citronella oil for Human Nature.  The values formation workshop entitled, "My Brother's Keeper" imparted to the farmers the importance of taking care of fellow farmers, the environment and the country. The farmers were able to share their insights and their plans of action on how to realize the talk. Afterwards, each Human Nature employee shared with the farmers their role at Human Nature and how it relates to the farming community. Joanna Gilladoga, Head of Marketing, shared how Human Nature works to promote our advocacy and how important the farmers are to the company not only as suppliers of citronella oil but as a group that helps other Human Nature-assisted farming communities in the country since 100% of profits from the Citronella Bug Spray and Bug Shield will be used to establish and develop farming communities in the Philippines. The farmers were delighted to learn that these citronella products were top-sellers and well-loved by our dealers and customers!  The trip to Kanapawan was yet another assurance to the farmers of Human Nature's commitment to the partnership, ingraining in them their responsibility and role as partners. The employees themselves were able to reflect on the work they're doing for Human Nature - that no matter what their position is, they play a big role for the company to achieve its mission for a progressive Philippines by being a business with a heart. It was a long day and a stay in the beautiful bed & breakfast at GK Libmanan in Camarines Sur was the icing on the cake. IV. Human Nature Branches A. Malolos, Bulacan Branch - Opening July 29 Unit 207 Feliza Jazz Bldg. Km. 41 McArthur Highway Malolos City, Bulacan (044) 79-HEART / (044) 794-3278 / (02) 404-4967 / 0917-8213168 / 0923-7090747 B. Davao Branch - NEW LOCATION! Unit No. 10, Plaza del Carmen Loyola St., Bo. Obrero, Davao City (082) 295-2976 / 0923-3739104 C. Cavite Branch - Opening August 6 Km. 21 Aguinaldo Highway 13 Anabu 1-B, Imus, Cavite (046) 471-5621 / (046) 875-4303 / (02) 542-7957 Contact: Mira Lacson D. Bacolod Branch - Opening August 18 Room 201 2/F VSB Bldg., Lacson St., Bacolod City 0916-4771739 / 0926-7521049 V. Head Office Updates  Cat Patacsiljoins the Human Nature team as our new Branch Operations - Training and Development Supervisor. She will be developing and rolling out new training programs for branches and dealers to make sure you're updated on the latest products and campaigns.  Rhea Zalita is the latest addition to our R&D team. She joins us as our Research and Testing Specialist. She will be responsible for researching on new and innovative raw materials that can be searched locally and extensive testing of products to make sure you get only the good! VI. Dealer of the Month: Vernon and Elisa Tiangco  Vernon and Elisa Tiangco is a husband and wife tandem who are strong and avid supporters of Human Nature. They signed up to be dealers last October last year because of their genuine interest and awe of the vision and advocacies of Human Nature. In just over 8 months, they were able to become part of Human Nature's list of Top Dealers. The Tiangcos have always been into natural and organic products mostly because of Elisa and her work at an alternative medicine clinic. Aside from using the products themselves, which prompts people to ask what it is that they use (which them leads to a sale *wink*), they also display them at Elisa's office to encourage people to not only start using natural & organic products but to also become part of a business that advocates better living for Filipino families, the Philippines and for the environment. Since the Tiangco's have attended every catalogue turnover held at Human Nature, when asked what it is they love about Human Nature, they replied "First, the feeling that in our own little way, we've been able to help other people while we also gain profit from the business and second, the products. They are not only helpful to our health but also to our environment." Thank you, Vernon and Elisa, for all your support in spreading our advocacy and making people aware about our products. We're so glad to have you as part of the Human Nature family. ☺ If you are having trouble viewing this email, please read the online version.
Contact Details: Tel. No. (02) 931-5787 Fax. (02) 951-3627 Email: customer.service@humanheartnature.com |
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