Water, hygiene info campaign goes online in pandemic

THE Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) led an intensive water conservation and personal hygiene campaign recently to reach out to Filipinos across the country even in the time of pandemic.

Dubbed as “Buhay KYUT Online,” the initial launching of this webinar on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) education was held in celebration of World Water Day 2021 attended by more or less 200 participants composed of public elementary and high school teachers from 10 different schools in General Mariano Alvarez (GMA), Cavite along with a number of water districts, partners and stakeholders.

“Buhay KYUT” (Kalusugang Yaman Ugnay sa Tubig) was originally LWUA’s water conservation and hygiene caravan making the rounds in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. But with travel restrictions and lockdowns, face-to-face gathering was crossed off the list in compliance with health protocols according to LWUA Acting Administrator Jeci Lapus.

In his opening remarks at the online event, Lapus said that “The mode of communication may have changed due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, but the spirit and intention of the campaign remains the same,” and “To instill water conservation values, care for the environment, maintaining personal hygiene and cleanliness among Filipinos nationwide.”

Resource speakers during the online campaign included Andrea Lee-Lacer, Health Program Officer at the Program Implementation and Outreach Division under the Health Promotion Bureau, Department of Health (DoH); Rosmon Tuazon, head of Advocacy, Maynilad Water Services Inc; Dr. Oliver Sta Ana, head for Academic Services, Maynilad Water Academy; and Jon Michael Villa/senor, WASH in Schools Officer, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

The project was supported by the GMA Water District, School Division Office of GMA, Cavite, and the Philippine Water Partnership (PWP).