  |
 |
  To my dear companions, Today marks the seventh year of Human Nature. In Biblical terms, seven is a holy number and is often associated with God. When it comes to children, the seventh year is also a milestone in that a child is no longer a baby and is now generally fully aware of herself, becoming more capable and beginning to form moral character. It is my hope that in our seventh year, we begin to mature as a child does - becoming more aware and committed to our mission to provide equal opportunities to every Filipino, create excellent, globally-competitive products and do everything with integrity. However, in our pursuit of these lofty goals, I also sincerely hope that this is the year that we rediscover love in our company. Now, love is not a common value that you would often hear in employee newsletters but I am reminded today that love is at the very center of who we are hence Human HEART Nature. In 2008, the name Human Nature with a heart in the middle came to Camille in a dream. This was when we were pondering starting a company of all-natural, locally-made products that would be good for our families, good for the Philippines and good for the earth. The idea was that if people loved the nature and the community, then God in His goodness will also provide everything that we need through His creation. This single phrase alone has inspired so much of what we do today and I think there is still more that we can learn from giving love in everything we do. In business terms, the word 'Company' is often associated with a detached entity built just to make money. However, we forget that 'Company' also means to be present for someone, as in "to provide company". It also shares the same root word as 'Companion'. It is my sincere hope that we start to reflect on what it really means to be a "Loving Company." To me, it means caring for one another inside and outside the office walls, extending grace and understanding to those of us who are struggling, sincerely sharing and celebrating one another's triumphs whether big or small. There is already so much that we have accomplished in the last seven years - growing to more than 350 employees, opening a landmark factory in Carmelray, continuing to defy the minimum wage cap - but I think our greatest challenge this year is to learn to become a COMPANION to one another in this difficult yet ultimately fulfilling journey that we all chose to be a part of. I am honored and blessed to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in this mission to serve God and our country. Happy anniversary to everyone! With resolute hope, Anna |
 Dear Human Nature Family, A lot has happened since 2008 when it was just the three of us operating in the second floor of Ate Anna and Kuya Dylan's house. From a small team of three doing all the labeling, picking, packing, to answering phones, now our headcount has already reached 357 people. I have said this in the past - in the course of seven years, there have been times when we wanted to give up. But we never did. If you ask me what keeps me going and motivated, my answer would be all of you. I've grown to love the people here at Human Nature with all my heart because you helped make this office a home. A home where people genuinely care and support each other through the challenges that we face every single day of the life we chose which is to work for a social enterprise. I can only face the upcoming years with a grateful heart because God allowed me to meet all of you. My prayer for Human Nature is for us to grow and mature together not only personally and spiritually but also in maturity of our hopes and dreams for our company and our nation. May we face future challenges with a brave heart knowing that we are all in this journey together. With a heart full of gratitude, happy 7th anniversary to all of us! Camille |
 Happy anniversary everyone! Today is our 7th anniversary and as I look back on the last 7 years, I'm just overwhelmed by a sense of how amazing Filipinos are and how faithful God is. I don't think anyone in Human Nature would say the last 7 years have been easy! Many of the days of the past 7 years have been filled with tears (both yours and mine!), yet I believe the last 7 years have been a very blessed time. In that time, we've seen some of the most incredible heroism, some of the most inspiring bayanihan spirit and ingenious creativity, all from some of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. We've all been brought together by a common dream for a better Philippines and a desire to use our talents to make the Philippines better not just for ourselves, but for everyone. 360 amazing people who encapsulate the very best of the Philippines. This is what has made the days of the last 7 years worth it. I can say with absolute honesty that despite knowing that almost every day would be difficult, I cannot remember a single day of the past 7 years where I have not woken up ready and keen to get back to work, for one reason above all others - because this is God's work. Over the past 7 years, I've taken inspiration from the life of St Paul, who had some pretty challenging days at work too. He said about his job "Five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten with a stick, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked and I drifted on the sea for a day and a night... I've been in danger in the city, in the open country, at sea, from false brothers, in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger, thirst, many periods of fasting, coldness and nakedness. On top of this, I have the daily burden of anxiety about all the churches I've started." Now those were not easy days at work! Yet Paul knew what he was doing it for and who he was doing it for. There were so many reasons for him to give up, just as there have been so many reasons for us to give up over the past 7 years. But there are much better reasons to keep going - that this is God's work and His way of using us for nation building. His personal calling for each one of us. If Paul had given up, we would not know Jesus today. We do not yet know all the good that will come from our work in Human Nature, but we know it is God's calling for us. Our faithfulness to that calling is all that matters. When I look back at the last 7 years, it is God's faithfulness that is so clear to me. Others said it was impossible to build a business in the Philippines without paying bribes, yet we have never done it, not even once. Many businesspeople said it was impossible to pay far more than minimum wage and survive, yet we have done it since the day we started. Many businesspeople told me that if we regularize everyone and especially if we have a no firing policy, we would be constantly taken advantage of and it would be a millstone around our neck, yet we have been one of the fastest growing companies in the Philippines. God has shown us over and over that doing things His way works. That loving the poor works, that loving the Philippines works, that faith in Him and commitment to His calling will bring success and great joy for many. New life, a new springtime for the Philippines and ultimately, through you, new hope for millions of working poor throughout the Philippines. None of this could happen without you. You are the conduit of God's grace to the poor. You are the workers in His vineyard. Anna, Camille and I can probably never reward you fully for all your sacrifices and love, yet I believe firmly that God sees everything you do, every struggle and every difficulty and He is preparing a reward far greater for you than we could ever give. "No eye has seen, no mind conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him" - 1 Corinthians 2:9 I would like to end by sharing something very personal with you. The greatest regret in my life is that my blood family have been scattered around the world. My father left us when I was only a few years old. My sister emigrated to California, my aunt and cousins live in France. When I came to the Philippines, the hardest part was knowing that my mother would be left completely alone in England. It was only because it was so clear in my prayers that God was calling me to be here that I had the strength to stay in the Philippines and work for GK and then later Human Nature, yet I have always prayed for my family to be reunited someday, somehow. I believe God allowed me and my family to experience this pain so I could understand what millions of OFW Filipinos and their families go through, simply because there is no opportunity here in the Philippines for most Filipinos. This is the reason why from the day we started, we have always tried to provide enough opportunity and enough salary for even our humblest workers that they do not need to go abroad to earn enough. To try to keep families together. I cannot tell you how joyful I am today because I am about to fly to England to collect my mother to bring her back here to the Philippines with me. She'll be staying for 2 months with us and hopefully when she retires next year, she'll be retiring here to live with us in the Philippines. Despite all the difficulty and sacrifice of the last 7 years, Human Nature has been God's way to reunite me with my mother and He's doing it on our 7th anniversary. We have an incredibly faithful, trustworthy and loving God who will reveal Himself to each of us in very personal ways in His own time. Meanwhile, I can only thank Him for all of you and thank you for showing me the very best of the Philippines. God bless you and God bless the Philippines. Dylan |
| 1. Natural Products Association Membership and Certification  Regarded as one of the most prestigious recognitions a natural brand can get, Human Nature is now a proud member of the Natural Products Association. The NPA holds the strictest standards in naturalness of personal care products in the world, and it is the largest and oldest nonprofit organization in the US dedicated to the promotion of natural manufacturing and protecting of consumers' health and environmental safety.To make the deal even sweeter, some of our bestselling products such as Gentle Berry Natural Body Wash, Lavender Mint and Lemon Zest Scented Cleansing Bars, Fragrance-Free Cleansing Bar, Vanilla Exfoliating Bar with Loofah Extracts, Coffee Body Scrub and Bug Shield Lotion have been awarded the NPA Seal which means they have met or exceeded NPA's standards for labeling a product truly natural. 2. Awards and Recognition  This year, Human Nature SafeProtect Sunscreen was hailed as the "Best Natural Sunscreen" by the Cosmopolitan Magazine Beauty Awards. Bug Shield Lotion, one of our flagship products, also won a Cosmopolitan Beauty Award and "Best Insect Repellent" award. Readers and editors of Good Housekeeping magazine have also fallen in love with Human Nature, earning us a place in this year's Good Housekeeping Anti-Aging Awards. Our Pure Rosehip Oil was cited as the Best Skincare Oil for Lightening & Scars. Our Hair Care products won 6 awards at the recent 2015 Hair Care Awards presented by FemaleNetwork.com. Most notable wins were Daily Hair Treatment's "Best Hair Mask" award and Strengthening Conditioner in Soothing Aloe's "Best Conditioner for Colored/Treated Hair." 3. Human Nature Blooms in the International Scene  We held Human Nature roadshow in five cities in the USA this year. Making Human Nature products available in Malaysia through brick and mortar stores and online was also made successful this year. Lastly, our first international retail store is in the works in the UAE. It is amazing that through Human Nature products, our fellow Filipinos have found a way to reconnect with the Philippines and feel at home. On top of that, we are also able to share the world that Made in the Philippines is not just good but also world-class. 4. Home Assistance Program for Employees  The spirit of bayanihan is very much alive in Human Nature as we initiated efforts in helping our employees turn their houses into beautiful homes with the Home Assistance Program. As of today, we have helped 11 employees to transform their houses into warm dwellings by aiding in the provision of materials and engaging in volunteer work. 5. Hurrah to New Branches 2015 has been a year of blessings and of more opportunities to share natural goodness that feels inside and out as we have opened three more Human Nature doors-the Iloilo, Iligan and Bogo City branches. We now have 29 operational branches nationwide and we are all excited to see Makati branch finally open its doors soon. 6. Social Enterprises Grab the Spotlight  Our commitment to help the poor remains strong as we engage in activities that will help them and their products become more visible in the market. This year, our Social Enterprise Development Team spearheaded Meet the Market, a forum where both established and aspiring entrepreneurs discussed concrete social value creation. With already two successful runs accomplished, Meet the Market will continue to highlight the importance of social enterprises in the industry in their upcoming forums 7. In the Business of Gender Equality and Social Responsibility Apart from being good leader examples to the rest of the Human Nature family, Anna and Camille also embody the empowered woman-kind, resilient, and socially responsible. These are the characteristics that earned them their recognition as two of the 15 Outstanding Women dubbed by the Senate in this year's celebration of Women's Month. The work of Anna and Camille in Human Nature is a testimony that women have truly raised the bar in improving the quality of life and this is consistently proven through the lives of every employee and members of our partner farming communities. |
| Would you like to share your good news and heartwarming stores with the rest of our Human Nature family? Send your stories to Kin at korina.ma@humanheartnature.com. Your story may inspire others, so come and share the goodness!  |