Monday 18 November 2013

Human Nature: A Social Enterprise

If I need to explain what social enterprise is to anybody, well, maybe specifically to a fellow Filipino, I would just cite Human Nature and he/she will surely understand what a social enterprise is. I am still currently writing a feature on social entrepreneurship which I hope to serve as an introduction on the field for readers. So for now, let me just share with you this interview I conducted in 2010 for my Master of Development Communication class in UPOU. I am certain you will have a good grasp of what a social enterprise is after seeing the video or reading the transcript below.



1. Interviewer: What is a social enterprise?

Ang social enterprise ay isang venture na hindi lang profit ang tinitignan. It is a business venture but at the same time may tinatawag tayo na social advocacy or social dimension.

2. Interviewer: What is Human Nature?

It started November 28, 2008. Ang nagtayo ng Gandang Kalikasan which is the manufacturer/supplier of Human Nature Products is yung dalawang anak ni Tony Meloto. Si Anna at saka si Camille together with the husband of Anna, si Dylan Wilk. So silang tatlo yung nag-start. They contacted their friends if they will be able to formulate the products.

Human Nature, A Social Enterprise from Human Heart Nature website: www.humanheartnature.com


3. Interviewer: What are the products of Human Nature?

Ang products ng Human Nature from babies to senior citizens. So it’s not really a beauty product per se kaya nga personal care na tinatawag.


Human Nature Products


4. Interviewer: What makes Human Nature a social enterprise?

Di ba ang Human Nature ay pro-Philippines, pro-poor, pro-environment? So that’s the philosophy behind it. Lahat ng ginagawa, whether it’s the product or the process, kinuha sya dun sa philosophy na yun.

Human Nature: Mission, Vision, and Values


Interviewer: Yun ba ang hinahanap ng mga tao ngayon?

For the consumer, I think it’s a plus factor that it’s Philippine made. Kasi the brands like Avon, NUskin, Revlon, etc., lahat iyon abroad. These are imported brands. Na meron lang Philippine arm, which markets these products. Pero yung pinagmumulan ng formulation, yung pinagmumulan ng packaging, everything, abroad yun. Dito, Pilipino talaga yung gumagawa.


5. Interviewer: What is the impact of Human Nature to society?

May tatlong catch words yun eh. Doing good, doing well, and doing right.

Interviewer: Ano-ano po yung ibig sabihin ng mga ito?

Okay, yung doing good, kasi meron agad ito immediate impact sa society. Di ba. Parang kapag sumali ka dito o kaya naging parte ka ng Human Nature, meron kang direct impact on society in two ways: one is you promote Philippine made products which already gives employment or livelihood to the farmers, unlike before na kapag puro palay ang tinatanim ng mga farmers tapos six months silang naghihintay, nababaon sila sa utang pero pag ngayon, im talking of farmers who are GK residents and also farmerswho are members of local farming cooperatives in the provinces, so we are talking here of not individuals, we are talking of families. Kasi for example, sa Bacolod lang, yung nagtatanim ng Tanglad, yung lemon grass, 42 families yun.

Interviewer: Dati ang tinatanim nila is palay?

Palay, sugarcane so kumbaga, sa ngayon, (they plant) high valued crops. We call it high valued crops, yung mga sunflower, aloe vera, citronella, tapos mabilis ang harvest. Hindi sila maghihintay ng anim na buwan para nila anihin yung tinatanim nila. So you’re giving them an alternative rather than sticking to one produce which is rice, you are gving them an alternative so nag-co-crop rotation sila. So at the same time, ang important, hindi na sila nababaon sa utang, kasi meron na silang regular na kinikita. Tapos meron na silang pambili ng ipupunla para sa susunod . So regular yun.





6. Interviewer: Human Nature and Gawad Kalinga

Ang Gandang Kalikasan is a partner or a sister/affiliated enterprise ng Gawad kalinga. Kasi may tie-up din ang Gawad kalinga with NGOs in the provinces. One example is the Philippine Federation for the Environmental Concerns. And then yung tinatawag na Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation. Ito yung mga NGOs na nagpoprovide ng hydropower tsaka solar energy sa mga farms tapos naka-tieup din sa mga regular coops ng farmers. Tinutulungan sila magkaroon ng equipment before, yung initial equipment before dalhin sa planta yung raw materials. At saka what’s important is they are given fair trade prices for their produce so hindi sila binabarat. Hindi sila nalulugi, in fact kumikita sila kasi maganda talaga yung produkto, it’s at the market rate.

Human Nature Social Enterprise Gifts from Partner Social Enterprises

Interview: Plus may training pa kayong binibigay.

May training for organic farming. Kaya sabay-sabay yon. Yun nga yung mga Gawad kalinga residents na pumunta na rin into organic farming, hindi nagtapos ang pagtulong kapag natayo na ang bahay nila. Kasi maraming mga tao lalo na if they come from depressed areas tapos irerelocate nila into a site na may bahay or magtatayo ng bahay, they always say paano yung kabuhayan nila. Di naming maiiwan basta-basta. But if you are giving them an alternative means of livelihood wherein the whole family can participate, kasi ang pagtatanim pati bata (pwede). It is also a good way of family bonding.

7. Interviewer: Human Nature and GK Villages

Tapos ang isa pang paraan kasi merong immersion program of the Human Nature dealers with the GK villages. So we do it once a month. We started last January dito sa Quezon City branch nung January 24 and then on February 27, we will have the second batch of dealers who will be joining. Hindi lang limited to dealers ito kasi the dealers can bring two other people who are not dealers. Kaya nga meron isang dealer dala niya buong family niya eh. Mga anak niya kasama. Family activity. As in elementary yung mga anak.

On February 16, we are going to have a similar interaction program with entrepreneurial students of UST, graduating batch. Sila yung nag-request if we can have an orientation with them. Then isasama din naming sila dun sa one of the GK Villages to encounter similar experiences as the Human Nature dealers.

Tapos yung iba, ang naging offshoot non natuwa sila, nainspire sila dun sa initial interaction, merong isang dealer na preschool teacher pala siya. Sabi niya gusto ko na ito maging regular basis for me. I will do once a week to that GK village kasi may preschool doon na mga bata, yung Sibol. So parang nag-vovolunteer teacher siya. Kasi dinodocument din eh. So yung mga leaders, they will see the pictures of the actual pagwowork nila dun. Tapos yung lunch is niluto ng mga nakatira sa GK residences. So sila yung nagpoprovide ng lunch tsaka yung merienda para sa mga participants.

8. Interviewer: Why Human “Heart” Nature?

Kasi ang tao, mahal niya ang kalikasan. Instead na Human loves Nature, Human heart nature.



No comments:

Post a Comment