Finally, clean water for a parched Cebu town
The United Nations considers access to water a human rights issue. And rightfully so. Remove clean water from any household or community, and you immediately see both hygiene and sanitation conditions plummet.
Growing concern
There is growing concern over water resources.
In 2023, UNICEF said 2.2 billion people worldwide lacked access to safely managed drinking water services the previous year. Some 53 percent of local households also lacked access to a safely managed water supply.
Among children under 5 years old, those problems result in some 400,000 deaths from diarrhea yearly. Diarrhea is the third leading cause of death among Filipino kids.
‘Project Clean’
This is the context in which citizens of Dumanjug town in Cebu recently received 138 advanced water filters, 11 rainwater catchment tanks, and extensive water sanitation training from Waves4Water under Project Clean.
While the communities received tanks and trainings, households got MVP filters, long-term-use items capable of purifying up to 3 million liters of water sans electricity.
The initiative sought to improve water safety for over 15,000 residents across 11 barangays. In ensuring access to cleaner water, it addressed a root cause of water-borne diseases, a severe public health challenge in Dumanjug.
“Project Clean will greatly enhance the safety of our water sources, protecting our community’s health,” said Pilar Fernandez, nurse and sanitation inspector at Dumanjug Rural Health Unit. “We frequently see cases of children suffering from diarrhea and amoebiasis due to unsafe water. The water in our rivers may look clear but is often contaminated.”
In some parts of the town, citizens rely on water systems coming from artesian wells and river water.
Disastrous shortage
During the last El Niño, Dumanjug was among the Cebu towns that experienced disastrous water shortages. The National Water Resource Board has cited the province as one of the country’s most water-stressed areas.
“This timely aid will make a significant difference, particularly for those in remote areas, and help us recover from the impacts of Typhoon ‘Carina,’” said physician Reynilee Christine Cabilin, head of the Municipal Health Office.
Carina enhanced the effects of July monsoon rains, triggering floods and landslides.
‘Accessible Healthcare’ pillar
Waves4Water implemented Project Clean through funding and collaboration by BingoPlus Foundation, the social development arm of DigiPlus Interactive.
The foundation increased its outreach budget to over P100 million to roll out more projects in social welfare and sustainable development.
Project Clean is under the KalusuganPLUS Program of the foundation’s Accessible Healthcare pillar. It is also part of a P15-million donation from BingoPlus Foundation during the Cebu Carnival.
“Project Clean exemplifies our dedication to transforming lives through sustainable and impactful healthcare solutions,” said Angela Camins-Wieneke, executive director of the BingoPlus Foundation.
“By equipping communities with the tools and knowledge they need, we aim to safeguard their health and improve their quality of life,” she added.
