The brand with a heart

MANILA, Philippines – Love for country runs in the blood.

And what better way to prove it than to tell (or re-tell) the story of Camille Meloto and Anna Meloto-Wilk who started a social enterprise that creates sustainable livelihood opportunity for Filipino farmers.

Together with Dylan Wilk, Anna’s husband who left his flashy cars and a comfortable English life for the worthy causes of social movement Gawad Kalinga (GK), the sisters started Gandang Kalikasan, the company that produces the Human Nature (HN) range of natural beauty products.

“Our biggest selling point when we were brainstorming about the brand is that we wanted it to be pro-Philippines,” Anna said. Currently, products of Gandang Kalikasan are 100 percent manufactured in the country. As much as possible they do not source raw materials abroad and aim to grow locally unavailable raw materials. It has also carried its pro-poor campaign as part of its operation philosophy. In fact, the company was set up from the very onset with the goal of helping people in GK communities by providing livelihood. “Our dream is to set up GK communities as globally certified organic farms which can produce world-class raw materials for Human Nature products.”

That dream began to be fulfilled with the setting up of the Human Nature Organic Farm in Bulacan, partnered with NGOs that specialize in organic farming and processing.

Meanwhile, the couple, who started to be more conscious about adopting a really eco-friendly lifestyle in 2005 with their first baby not using disposable diapers which take about 500 years to biodegrade, took on their roles as stewards of the planet to a higher level with Human Nature.

“Here at Human Nature, we take our responsibility of being nature’s stewards very seriously. We deliberate on the impact of all our business decisions on the environment. For example, all our raw materials are thoroughly researched to ensure that they are naturally derived, are not processed using environmentally toxic processes and do not become toxic when released into the environment after you have finished with the product.” In addition, HN uses recyclable bottles and prints its catalog and gift tags on recycled paper.

Indeed, the daughters of Tony and Lyn Meloto, the prime movers of Gawad Kalinga, together with Dylan Wilk, have made Gandang Kalikasan a social enterprise as proof that nobody’s too young to start a brand with a heart.

On Sept. 27, Go Negosyo will recognize Anna, Camille and Dylan as Go Negosyo Inspiring Young Filipino Entrepreneurs in the 2010 Youth Entrepreneurship Summit at the World Trade Center, Pasay City. The award will be presented by Go Negosyo Founder Joey Concepcion along with the Go Negosyo Trustees.