Human Nature Davao: "Only the Good"

Human Nature Davao: “Only the Good”

Sun.Star Davao, July 27, 2013

When Gandang Kalikasan, Inc. launched the Human Nature brand of personal care products in November 2008, its founders Anna Meloto-Wilk and Camille Meloto, daughters of Gawad Kalinga founder Tony Meloto, would have no inkling of how its Pro-Poor, Pro-Environment and Pro-Philippines line of products would grow by leaps and bounds in just less than five years.

Today, Human Nature is the Philippines’ largest brand of genuinely natural personal care and cosmetics products and has 23 branches in the Philippines. It is also present in three countries – Singapore, Malaysia and the USA, and available in selected retailers throughout the country.

“Only the Good” in Davao

And speaking of branches, I remember being at the launch of our very own Human Nature branch right here in Davao City.

It was branch owners Architect Sylvia P. Rieta, Joy J. Mempin and Monique T. Villanueva who decided to bring their advocacy of loving the poor to a whole new level. They introduced the Human Nature brand to Davao in 2009, the second branch to open in the Philippines, and the first outside of Luzon.

Two years later, on July 16, 2011, they opened their Human Nature Davao Showroom, in the homey and spacious Plaza del Carmen in Loyola St., Bo. Obrero.

This month, Human Nature Davao celebrated the second anniversary of their showroom, to coincide with the branch’s Magalogue Turnover, where the brand’s latest Magazine-Catalogue and newest products were launched to the public.

What’s new 

Held right in the well-manicured gardens of the Plaza del Carmen, it was a fun-filled afternoon with the dealers, buyers and friends of Human Nature.  After a short thanksgiving prayer, Monique presented the latest line of Human Nature products which include the:

100% NATURAL CLARIFYING SHAMPOO in Green Apple scent (P149.75 200ml; P319.75 500ml) ---Free from harmful chemicals and made with natural fruits acids, betaine and aloe vera for a deep, purifying and gentle clean, this shampoo helps eliminate build-up and impurities. It likewise soothes your scalp and moisturizes your strands for hair that’s light, bouncy, and oh-so-soft!

KIDS NATURAL SHAMPOO AND BODY WASH IN OCEAN APPLE FOR GIRLS AND TANGERINE THUNDER FOR BOYS (P44.75, 50ml; P129.75 200ml; 289.75 500ml)--- Considered as mommy’s best friend, this kid-friendly product is completely free from harmful chemicals such as SLS/SLES, triclosan, parabens and synthetic fragrances, whilst still removing dirt and grime to keep your little ones naturally fresh and clean. It’s made with a unique Protein Care System that helps keep your child’s hair healthy and skin soft and supple.

NATURAL HAND SOAP IN ENERGIZING CITRUS SCENT (P59.75 50ml; P139.75 200ml)---This soap is 99.99% natural and 100% free from harmful chemicals making it a safe alternative to chemical hand soaps. Its natural glycerin is non-drying to your hands and helps keep them soft and smooth. It also contains a naturally derived surfactant that effectively cleans your hands while keeping the environment clean and green.

COOL PEPPERMINT NATURAL STRENGTHENING CONDITIONER (P49.75 50ml; P144.75 200ml; P299.75 500ml)---Now with a new and improved formulation, this conditioner gives you softer and smoother hair with less tangles to worry about. It’s a rich fusion of soybean, avocado and sunflower oil that truly nourish your hair from roots to tips, keeping it soft and healthy. Topping it off with hydrolyzed wheat protein to fortify your hair, it helps protect it from much-dreaded hairfall.

               

Magalogue turnover and more

The product presentation was accentuated by fun games and touching videos.  At the end, Dylan Wilk and Anna Meloto-Wilk gave a video message to the branch, congratulating Human Nature Davao on its anniversary.

After the presentation, the participants were treated to a sumptuous merienda of Penne Pesto and Chicken Waldorf Sandwiches courtesy of Joy’s home cooking. 

And of course, the best part of the Magalogue Turnover was the shopping spree, where dealers enjoyed special promotions on the newest products.

Indeed, it was a heart-warming and enjoyable Saturday afternoon for the loyal users of Human Nature and friends of the Davao branch, all looking forward to another year of “Only the Good”.

To learn more about Human Nature products and advocacy or to learn how to be a dealer, visit www.humanheartnature.com.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.

Hola, Rizo Mex-to-Go!

“Hola, Rizo Mex-to-Go!”

Sun.Star Davao, July 13, 2013

Almost every household has a cherished family recipe and for mompreneur Jennifer Dumlao, it was her maternal grandmother Ellen Dakudao’s lip-smacking chorizo that was on top of her list.

“Knowing how her ‘parientes’ looked forward to her delicious meals, my Lola Ellen would gather her ingredients and test different recipes every day.  She would whip up various dishes from scratch and did not stop enhancing a dish until the smell, look, taste and texture was perfect”, recalls Jennifer, a former event organizer.

“Sometime in the 1980s, Lola Ellen was reminiscing about a Spanish-inspired recipe of chorizo that she remembered being served in her household when she was a young girl”, shares the mom of two.

Lola Ellen and her then junior assistant Jennifer began to experiment with different spices and flavors to bring together the “ideal fusion of Spanish spiciness and Filipino-style sweetness to the chorizo”.

El favorito

“After months of experimenting, the chorizo was finally launched at Lola Ellen’s home with just her family as the eager customers. The chorizo immediately became everyone’s ‘favorito’!”, enthuses Jennifer. 

“We would gather around Lola’s cocina and eat the chorizo for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  And when she wasn’t looking, the chorizo was somebody’s snack as well”, Jennifer giggles at the memory.

Pretty soon, amigos would drop by to sample the famous chorizo, and, at parties, it was the most requested dish. 

By the 1990s, family friends requested to bring the chorizo home so that they could enjoy it with their families.

Rizo Mex-To-Go

With her Lola Ellen’s well-loved chorizo recipe as the “star” of her new food business, Jennifer recently opened her first branch of Rizo Mex-To-Go.          

“Being the true-blue Pinoy that I am, I “nicknamed” my food cart Rizo which is short for chorizo.  Chorizo is the staple ingredient in all of my major food offerings like the Arroz con Rizo, BurRizo and the QuesaRizo.  The name is also a tribute to my Lola Ellen, who created the recipe for the chorizo that I use in my store”, explains Jennifer.

“And because we are serving Mexican food “to go”, we tagged on the line “Mex-To-Go”, she adds.

“We are catering to people who are always on the go and would like to enjoy a delicious hearty meal or snack that would fit nicely with their active lifestyle”, smiles Jennifer.

Hearty home cooking

“Rizo’s food is rooted deeply in delicious, hearty home-cooking.  As soon as you take your first bite, the flavors and aroma of the chorizo will bring you back to those times when your lola or your mom would cook your favorite comfort dish at home”, describes Jennifer.

In addition, she says that the Mexican-inspired presentations provide a novel and unique experience that makes Rizo exciting to food lovers. On the other hand, the main ingredient, chorizo, provides a familiar taste to the Filipino palate.

“So, far, our bestseller is the “BurRizo” (burrito with chorizo filling, P45). It is suitable as a light meal or a heavy snack because it is a good representation of all the food groups. A hearty serving of our Spanish-Mexican chorizo is enriched by healthy portions of crisp cabbage, juicy tomato and your choice of creamy or spicy sauce – all wrapped in a flavorful flour tortilla”, recommends Jennifer.

Other must-try items on their menu are the QuesaRizo (P40 per order of 2 pieces), which is a quesadilla with chorizo filling and Torta (Mexican sweet cake, P18 for an order of 2 pieces).

The staple of Rizo Mex-To-Go, the Arroz con Rizo (P65) showcases their famous Spanish-Mexican chorizo topping with a good serving of white rice sautéed with tomatoes and corn; wonderful with egg cooked sunny-side-up and may be served with salsa. 

            Developing the brand

            Instead of conveniently choosing a business franchise, Jennifer developed her Rizo                     Mex-To-Go brand.

            For Jennifer who also acts as the manager of RLD Enterprises, a real estate company,               it was such a joy and a challenge to create something endearingly real from nothing but               ideas and dreams. 

            By setting up her own food cart business, she was able to bring to life this idea and                     desire to share a popular and delectable family recipe with other people and create a                 thriving business out of it as well.

            “I felt the need to give free reign to my creative and organizational skills.  I wanted to                     develop my own concept, systems and processes and implement them in the best way I             know how”, Jennifer discloses.

Personalized food cart

“It was not hard to come up with the concept for Rizo.  The main product was already existing – our home-cooked chorizo.  It only took a little bit more imagination on my part to come up with the different ways to present the chorizo”, details Jennifer.

Jennifer also hired the services of Jun Serrano of Business 1^st Management Consultancy who helped her to develop her brand; plan, strategize and organize her business; and implement operational systems and processes. 

Jun was then joined by Cocoy Paguio who does the operations and marketing and Ron Cunanan who designed and manufactured the cart.

The logo, cart and food presentation were all designed to be pleasing to all customers.  The food crew were hand-picked and trained to provide the best service and maintain company standards.

“With the help of Jun and his team, everything came together perfectly and pretty soon, we were launching the first Rizo Mex-To-Go food cart!”, says the bedimpled Jennifer beaming with pride.

Visit Rizo Mex-To-Go at Victoria Plaza ground floor (across Park ‘N Shop). Its second branch will also open soon at Gaisano Mall Toril. E-mail rizomextogo@gmail.com. Like Rizo Mex-To-Go on Facebook.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.