Featured Employee of the Month: Yla Dizon

"It was not love at first sight. It was a slow, sure love."

Learning to love can be a daunting task. Learning to love in its many modes - and through our multiple life roles - can be even harder.

If we were to define our lives by our capacity to love, Yla Dizon would be an exemplary model because she possesses a rare gift: the capacity to be a person who lives to love and serve others.

As Human Nature's Flagship Store Manager and single mother of two daughters Erika and Sam, Yla rises each day ready to take on the responsibilities bestowed upon her with a commitment to love and service. Whether regarded as a colleague, a friend, a sister, or a daughter, Yla takes on her multiple roles with grace and fortitude that overcomes all obstacles.

"I love people," she beams. "It's like I'm on a mountaintop, encouraging others to pursue their purpose well. I see our Store Team talking to high profile people confidently, and I can't wait for them to assume leadership roles someday."

Driven by her love for the Philippines and the poor, Yla works tirelessly towards her true missions to offer financial and moral support for children who cannot afford proper education, and to contribute to a rising Philippines.

Her passion extends to every employee and customer; her disposition enables her to be a ray of light and inspiration to absolutely everyone she encounters.

"Among the roles I play, what comes first is being a servant of God. [If] you serve God, you serve all the roles in your life. He drives me every day." Though much of her life may be a balancing act, Yla remains steadfast, positive, and centered in her commitment and passion.

"It's easier when you set your tune to God first," she smiles. "Everything else will follow."

Social Artist: A Documentary by Sheila Yusay

by Reby Baldoz

"In a divided & severely corrupted nation, Antonio Meloto believes he, along with a growing army of volunteers can eradicate poverty in his country by 2024."

Intrigued by the thought of one man starting a movement to alleviate one nation's poverty, Filipino-American Sheila Yusay embarked on a two year journey to capture the story about a man with an impossible dream.

"First, it was a personal challenge to just make a documentary. I wanted to do something that would inspire people - or inspire change in people. I kept wishing there was something or someone in our country that could be my subject. Also, I wanted to depict a positive Philippines, which is all too rare. When I heard of Gawad Kalinga (GK) and its goals of eradicating extreme poverty by 2024, I was intrigued. I wanted to know who started it and who and what this person is like. Is he for real? Is he crazy? Is he credible?"

And depict a positive Philippines she did. At the premier of "Social Artist" last March 11, 2015 at the Leong Hall Auditorium at the Ateneo de Manila University, Sheila Yusay's brilliant film was viewed and enjoyed by many as it not only told the tale of Antonio Meloto, Father and Founder of Gawad Kalinga, and his work with GK, but that of many other social artists that help in his mission, as well as the families who have been part of the revolution. Stories, while extremely different from one another, had similar messages - dreaming big, not giving up, and working proactively together to build a more beautiful Philippines.

As the stories unfolded one after the other, all about how each and every social artist got involved with "the dream" - of nation-building, bayanihan, and bridging gaps, among others - Sheila couldn't help but be moved by it all as their Gawad Kalinga stories, energy, and attitude were all too contagious. When asked what she wanted people to take away from this film, she replied "I want to inspire people to tend to their dreams again - even to dream BIG. I want Filipinos to rediscover their patriotism and to express it in new ways, any little way that might help move our country forward."

Thank you, Sheila, for capturing the true essence of being Filipino and showing the world what we're all about. And congratulations on this remarkable piece of work. You have done our country very proud.

Here's what others have to say about the film:
  • "I loved how the film explored the theme 'miracle of solidarity'."

  • "A miracle is something unexpected but utterly life changing --- from a stranger's capacity to care, a foreigner moved by compassion to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Philippines' poor, a marketing executive from a multinational reaching out to the gangs of the Metro's slums, to the miracle of getting over our own selfish ambitions and needs and giving all of our time in service of the country's neediest."

  • "All these are miracles because it goes against our own sinful and self-centered nature as fallen human beings."

  • "Solidarity, to be of one mind and mission, also goes against the competitive; dog-eat-dog system of our world."

  • "Gawad Kalinga is a miracle of solidarity."
For those of you who can't wait to see this remarkable film, stay tuned for our official invite in succeeding newsletters!

Kusina ng Kalinga

by Dia Lacaba
(Photos courtesy of Cams Crisostomo and Eena Meloto)


Early one Friday morning in March, a small group of Human Nature employees consisting of Ariel Perez (HR), Cams Crisostomo (Marketing), Leihana Taguiam (Finance), Patrick Villanueva (Finance), Cristina Pios (Finance), Eena Melo to (HR), Joanna Michelle Chua (Research and Testing), and myself woke up early and headed to GK Sitio Pajo in Baesa, Quezon City. We donned aprons and hairnets, and joined other volunteers to cook up a storm. Our goal? To prepare hearty, nutritious meals for the school children who live in the area. The program is called Kusina ng Kalinga, and it is Gawad Kalinga's anti-poverty campaign to end hunger among children.

Early beginnings

Kusina ng Kalinga started in the weeks right after Typhoon Yolanda hit the Visayas region. People were hungry, and so Gawad Kalinga decided to partner with Ateneo, which already had expertise in mass feeding programs, to deliver meals to the people who needed them most, especially the children. As the days passed, they realized more and more the far-reaching impact of day-to-day hunger among Filipino kids.

One story that hit home was that one day, a child fainted in the school room of a public school. Everyone acted like it was an everyday occurrence, so an observer took it upon himself to approach the child and to ask him what happened. "Thursday kasi," the child replied matter-of-factly. It was Thursday, and apparently it was this child's turn to forego food at home.

Incidents like this highlight how pervasive the problem of hunger still is in our society. Studies indicate that 15 million Filipinos consistently go hungry. Seven million of our children are malnourished. As a result, we are ranked ninth in the world for having the most number of stunted children, and, further along the development track, we place fifth in the world for the most number of school drop-outs.



Hunger ends where caring begins

In response, GK has created Kusina ng Kalinga, which, through the generous donations of individuals and companies and the tireless work of volunteers, feeds 12,925 kids every day through regular kitchen operations set up in Quezon City, Leyte, and Sultan Kudarat.



It is a smart, multi-faceted response to a weighty social issue - not only does it aim to end hunger and malnutrition, but by feeding hungry school children, the program hopes to boost and support education, with the thinking that well-nourished kids can focus on learning, and that the guarantee of a warm, nutritious lunch will motivate them to go to school daily.

Additionally, Kusina ng Kalinga aims to contribute to the local economy by sourcing their ingredients locally, and to strengthen family values by opening the kitchen to teach the mothers in the area how to prepare healthy food for their families on a limited budget. GK is also working with the government to extend this program to benefit more children in the future.

A joyful way of ending hunger

On this particular day in GK Sitio Pajo, the healthy meal we were tasked to prepare was ginisang repolyo with rice for 1,500 children. The kitchen was full of volunteers happily chopping malunggay and repolyo, shredding chicken, scooping cups of rice and ulam into lunch containers, and packing everything for delivery to the schoolrooms and simple function halls where children and a few young mothers with babies in their arms sat waiting patiently.



In the distribution center we went to, the kids ate their meals and struck up conversations with volunteers from GK, Human Nature, and other organizations. "Ate, ilang taon ka na? May Facebook ka? Add mo ko ha!" Just as they got bored with my inexpert attempts at bonding with their age group, entertainment experts Ukelele Manila and Aussie rock band Bonney Read took over the front of the room to perform the latest Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift hits. The gathering ended with a GK chant, group selfies, and high fives all around.



Apart from wanting to help, I signed up to join this particular activity because I needed a good dose of inspiration amidst the everyday worries and concerns of work. I came away from GK Sitio Pajo with a lighter step, photos of kids with ear-to-ear grins on my phone, and Ed Sheeran's Thinking of You in shaky four-part harmony ringing in my ears with an earnest message that was so true for me that day: Maybe we found love right where we are.



It only takes P3,300 to end hunger for one child for an entire year. Any amount goes a long way. If you're interested in participating in Kusina ng Kalinga, you too can give now or volunteer.

Pinay and Proud: Human Nature Founders Recognized in Senate's Women's Day Celebrations

by Tish Martinez-Castillo
(Photos courtesy of Sen. Pia Cayetano)


Human Nature Founders Anna Meloto-Wilk and Camille Meloto were among the 15 women feted in the senate's Women's Month Celebrations last March 16.

"Society takes massive steps towards progress when men and women work together side by side," emphasized Senator Pia S. Cayetano. Cayetano chairs the Senate Committee for Women, Family Relations and Gender Equality. Last year, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that women are part of the five basic sectors with the highest poverty incidence. An estimated 25.2 percent of Filipinos could not meet the minimum income to buy food for a family of five in 2014.

Cayetano sponsored senate resolution 1237, which recognizes 15 outstanding women. An exhibit featuring the achievements of the 15, dubbed "Empowered Women: Raising the Bar" was also opened on the date.

"They grew the personal care brand quite literally from the ground up, empowering their workers with stable livelihood and centering their enterprise on their core values of Pro-Philippines, Pro-Poor, and Pro-Environment," says Cayetano.



Over 90 percent of Human Nature dealers and more than 60 percent of its employees are women.

"I'm honored to be in the company of these inspiring women who I have looked up to growing up and being recognized in the same event as them by the Philippine government is just truly overwhelming. It's a truly amazing experience spending time with people who I never even imagined to meet in real life," shares Camille. "What's the added bonus? Most of them have used our products! My heart is swelling, my tummy brimming with butterflies!"



This year's awardees were led by the Philippine's first prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, four-time world bowling champion Olivia Bong Coo, UNICEF Philippines Special Advocate for Children Daphne Osena-Paez, first Filipino woman to qualify for the Ironman world championships Ani de Leon-Brown, and T'boli Dreamweaver named by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as a 'National Living Treasure' Lang Dulay.

The other awardees include: soprano Rachelle Gerodias, designer Monique Lhuillier, world-renowned artist Lolita Valderrama-Savage, marine scientist and conservationist Jurgenne Primavera, first visually impaired Filipina to graduate summa cum laude from Ateneo de Manila University Roselle Ambubuyog, first Asian and first female White House executive chef Cris Comerford, Care.com founder Sheila Lirio Marcelo, and the three members of the Pinay Mt. Everest Team: Janet Belarmino, Noelle Wenceslao and Carina Dayondon. Belarmino. Dr. Fe del Mundo, founder of the country's first pediatric hospital and the first Filipino woman to be named National Scientist was also given a posthumous recognition.




Would you like to share your good news and inspirational stories with the rest of our Human Nature family? Send your goodness stories to nicole.sa@humanheartnature.com! Three stories will be featured each month, so come and share the goodness!