The trail to water conservation
FOR MANILA Water Company, the water trail tour Lakbayan, which it launched in 1999, has become a tool for conveying not only the message that years of neglect have degraded the environment but that ignorance and apathy have contributed to the death of Metro Manila’s major river systems.
The information, communication and educational program aims to bring aware- ness about the people’s critical role in helping protect the environment.
Heidi Demaisip, Manila Water’s Lakbayan manager, said the project helped increase awareness of the importance of using water wisely and underscore environmental issues on water pollution and promotion of wastewater management.
She said this was important as 97 percent of Metro Manila’s water came from Angat Dam.
She said Manila Water prioritized system reduction loss to recover water for unserved and underserved areas in its concession.
Over the past 15 years, Manila Water was able to recover more than 650 million liters of water per day, reducing losses from 63 percent in 1997 to 11 percent by the end of 2011.
The saving was used to service the farthest areas in the East Zone, such as Taguig City and the mountain cities of San Mateo, Rodriguez and Antipolo in Rizal.
Lakbayan takes people on a unique journey starting from inside the Lakbayan Center near the Balara Filter Plants 1 and 2 in Quezon City beside the swimming pool at Orosa and Escoda Halls.
Lakbayan participants hear t he story of Manila Water, f ollowed by short l ectures about water and wastewater management.
The water trail tour’s centerpiece is “Faces of Heroism,” a video which not only reminds viewers of the heroes of Tropical Storm “Ondoy” but also spreads important lessons about water, wastewater and the environment in a more dramatic fashion.
The video assures people that Manila Water is safe to drink from the tap because it is clean, clear and refreshing. It also ex- plains how wastewater is made clean to sustain aquatic life before it goes back to the rivers.
Sister Aleth Evangelista of Laura Vicuna Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization helping street children, said the tour challenged her to do more for Mother Earth.
Through Lakbayan, participants understood why waterways had to be protected and learned what Manila Water did to improve lives to ensure that the next generation would have a much better environment.
Director Reynaldo Janairo of the Department of Health-national Capital Region Center for Health and Development, said Lakbayan would help strengthen the government agency’s advocacy for people to use tap water for drinking.
Erwin Casablang of the Asian Development Bank said the tour created environmental awareness and a sense of urgency about the need to ensure clean water.
Yvonne, a Marikina resident, said the Water Trail Tour would educate not just the youth, but all stakeholders, on the proper ways of treating rivers and drainage systems, which would help prevent devastating floods such as those caused by Ondoy.
Manila Water is inviting more people to take its free Water Trail tour and encourages them to use the pledge tumbler that will help them take water seriously the next time they drink, or bathe, or waste it.