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7.12.2012

Social Enterprise Products | Purpose Beyond Profit.

Remember the launching of the Human Heart Nature Laguna Concept Store that happened two Saturdays ago, and how impressed I was with its posh, new look? Here's another thing that really blew me away.

The 'Social Enterprise' wall!
Food products! Lots and lots of food products!
There's Enchantea, a bottled drink made from these five ingredients: lemongrass, duhat, pandan, and calamansi.

Enchantea, Php 35/bottle.
This all-natural and healthy beverage is co-designed, brewed, and bottled by the residents of the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan.

Goodness you can drink!
Also from the same farm are these Golden Eggs.

Golden Eggs, 6 pieces at Php 140. 
Instead of the usual red, these salted eggs are dyed in turmeric yellow - the color of hope for Gawad Kalinga. Food-grade and all-natural dyes are used to color these eggs, making them safer and more fit for consumption.

Cafe de Sug, Php 250/pouch.
Cafe de Sug, on the other hand, is more than just coffee. It's also an attempt, a continuous effort to change the negative mindset about Sulu.

Instead of being in the spotlight for rampant killings and terrorist attacks, Sulu is slowly becoming known as home to this bold and flavorful coffee.This Tausug brew is made with whole roasted, premium Arabica beans grown by the Gawad Kalinga Sulu Sibol community. 


Theo & Philo Artisan Chocolates, Php 100/bar.
Craving for chocolate?
Have a bar or two of these artisan chocolates from Theo & Philo - the only bean to bar chocolate from the Philippines. Made from Davao cacao beans, each bar of Theo & Philo is infused with creative and uniquely Filipino flavors.

Dark Chocolate with Siling Labuyo on the left, Dark Chocolate with Green Mango and Sea Salt on the right.

70% Dark Chocolate.
Note that these products do not come from the normal enterprise. Like Human Heart Nature, these brands have more than just profit in mind. They are what we call the social enterprise - social economy that  operates like a business, produces goods and services for the market, but manages its operations and redirects its surpluses in pursuit of social and environmental goals*.

An equally noble goal of social enterprise (aside from generating income to pursue more of a non-profit's mission) is the involvement of the marginalized - thus creating capacity and self-sufficiency for individuals, and impacting their communities and lessening reliance on the social safety net (eg. the Enchanted Farm, the Sulu Sibol Community). 

So next time you take a sip of Enchantea, or enjoy a cup of Cafe de Sug, or satisfy your craving with Theo & Philo, keep in mind that you are not just delighting your appetite. By supporting these brands, you are - in your own little way - also helping to build a more sustainable economy and a stronger nation.

Enchantea, Golden Egg, Cafe de Sug, and Theo & Philo are also available at the Human Heart Nature Flagship Store in Quezon City. Cafe de Sug can also be ordered online.

*Defining the Social Economy, Fiona Salkie.


Sharing with Food Friday, Food Trip Friday, Photo Story Friday, Oh! Snap, Color Connection.

17 comments:

  1. Would love to try out those Theo & Philo chocolates, problem is we don't have Human Heart Nature flagship store in Pampanga and are not available online. Nice to know there are a lot more Social enterprise products that Human Heart Nature carry.

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  3. Thank you for providing awareness about this project and others. Hopefully at some point they will also be available online. It seems this would increase their opportunities for self-sufficiency

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  4. Those golden eggs are so interesting! I love to see foods from other parts of the world. It just reminds you of the variety we have on the planet. Always a good thing;)

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  5. Thanks so much for this information!

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  6. looks good--I like the yellow eggs!
    And how CAN ONE GO wrong WITH CHOCOLATE????? =)

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  7. Thanks for sharing this. It's good to know that Phil. products are making its way into the consumers. I hope this project prospers.

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  8. Was able to try the Theo and Philo chocolates. Such a promising product!

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  9. I love the Theo and Philo chocolate with green mangoes! <3

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  10. WOW! I didn't know anything about these stuff. I always enjoy reading blog post about food and places. I would really love to try those golden eggs and chocolates, sounds awesome!
    xo

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  11. I love these social enterprises as they help provide people with alternative livelihood and at the same time promote Filipino products. :) I've never tried the Sulu coffee before but it's interesting. I'm a huge fan of Theo and Philo :)

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  12. I'd love to try the Enchantea, Cafe de Sug and Theo & Philo chocolates which I've always been dying to sample! Anyway, I'm definitely for social enterprises as they're really helpful not only in giving us quality Filipino-made products but also in giving more Filipinos a productive livelihood.

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  13. I would love to try this. Thanks for sharing :)

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  14. I'm also an advocate and proud of it. So happy to be a dealer of Human Nature. :)

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  15. i didn't know that they also sell things like this. i love to try the dark chocolate, i so love chocolates. thanks for joining and see you on next green monday.

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  16. I've never seen yellow eggs. How cool is that! And what a great cause. Thanks for sharing at Happily Mother After. :)

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