Manila Water Foundation highlights safe sanitation on World Toilet Day
About six percent of Filipinos do not have access to toilets and are most likely practicing open defecation, according to the 2017 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey mentioned in The Philippine STAR on Nov. 20. In addition, 19 percent of Filipinos use undeveloped sanitation facilities such as poorly designed septic tanks.
To emphasize the importance of safely managed sanitation services, World Toilet Day is celebrated every Nov. 19. According to United Nations, World Toilet Day aims to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6, which targets to eliminate open defecation and ensure access to sustainable sanitation services by 2030.
In celebration of World Toilet Day, Manila Water Foundation Inc. (MWF) recently gathered over 300 students, teaching staff and community members at Rizal High School in Pasig City. The event promoted the importance of safely managed sanitation in the country, especially for marginalized sectors. It also strengthened partnerships with stakeholders of public and private organizations to ensure proper sanitation practices.
“Tayo ay nasa ikatlong taon na ng MWF na nangunguna sa selebrasyong ito sapagkat ang ating adbokasiya ay WASH, o Water Access, Sanitation and Hygiene. Isa sa mga components nito ay sanitasyon kung saan tayo po ay patuloy na nagsasagawa ng mga programa para malutas ang tinatawag po natin na may six percent pa sa buong Pilipinas na wala pang safely managed toilets,” said MWF chairman Rene Almendras.
The event also included the Toka Toka lecture led by MWF’s advocacy team, discussion of Department of Health’s programs related to sanitation and its effects to our health, a talk by United Nations Children’s Fund Philippines on open defecation and health, and the launch of the WASH jingle. Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto also gave a partnership message in behalf of the local government units.
“Kaya naman ang adbokasiyang ito, tayo ay pumupunta sa mga lugar at kahit sa mga malalayong lugar sa Pilipinas para makapagabot tayo o magsagawa o makapagpatayo ng mga palikuran para ating matugunan ang tinatawag nating open defecation na isang
pag-suporta ng programa ng Department of Health and UNICEF Philippines,” Almendras added.
Beyond the celebration of World Toilet Day, MWF provides sanitation interventions to different communities all year round. On Nov. 19, in line with the actual World Toilet Day celebration, MWF launched the sanitation phase of its Integrated WASH Program in Sitio Monicayo at Barangay Calumpang, Mabalacat City, Pampanga, granting individual toilets with septic tanks to 45 toiletless households. Other sanitation initiatives from the MWF include the construction of public toilets at select barangays at Biñan City, Laguna; Malay, Aklan; Rosario, Cavite; and Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. To find out more about World Toilet Day and the importance of safely managed sanitation services; visit https://manilawaterfoundation.org/ and its official Facebook page, Manila Water Foundation.