Clearing the way for clean water
Anniversaries often revisit where stories begin. For Waves for Water Philippines (W4W), its 12th year is inseparable from the story brought by Super Typhoon Yolanda—one of the strongest landfalling typhoons in recorded history—which left the nation with casualties and millions with contaminated water.
The gathering felt less like a formal milestone and more like a homecoming for partners, advocates, and supporters who honor the lives behind every drop of clean water delivered for the last 12 years. Held at the Penthouse of KMC, the event opened with gratitude and a renewed sense of purpose as the organization prepares to enter 2026.
A clear mission
The event opened with remarks from Gil Cruz Jr., Client Services Division Head—Central Cluster of KMC, who welcomed guests and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to initiatives that create measurable community impact.
Before Waves For Water became one of the country’s most trusted names for clean water access, the organization began as an emergency relief effort in the aftermath of a disaster. It soon evolved into a long-term commitment to the families who had lost not just homes but also the stability of something essential, which is clean water.
Since then, the organization’s mission has been clear, and it has responded to 47 disasters across the Philippines. And while their works have expanded far beyond that moment, the lessons learned in those early days continue to anchor their mission of doing what they love and helping along the way.
Daily surge of struggles
Instead of explaining the problem through statistics alone, W4W invited guests to feel the weight of the everyday struggle of accessing clean water. Manila-based production designer Justine Arcega-Bumanlag helped craft installations that brought these struggles upfront.
At the event, guests were asked to carry 20 liters of water across a walkway, the same weight that women and children often carry along steep footpaths and uneven terrains. Completing all 300 round-trips would amount to 5,000 steps, the average daily distance many Filipinos still walk today just to bring home clean water. A treadmill station also challenged attendees to attempt the same 5,000-step journey, underscoring the endurance required just to secure water for the household.
For the attendees, the booth cleared their eyes to see the burden of finding accessible clean water, especially during disasters. In light, W4W pledged to donate one clean water filtration system for every guest who walked into the event. This gesture turns celebration into immediate relief for communities still struggling with disrupted water sources.
Waves that reached communities
Chairman Carlo Chen-Delantar shared the year’s biggest milestones, highlighting a full-circle moment for the organization in its 12th year. He revealed that more than 2 million lives were impacted, 33,187 water filters distributed, 163 rainwater catchment systems built, 1,394 handwashing stations installed, 135 schools reached nationwide, and all 82 provinces in the Philippines were reached.
Beyond these numbers, he also unveiled a nationwide transparency dashboard created in partnership with Umpisa Inc. Umpisa CEO and co-founder Pamela Belen introduced the platform as a tool that maps every community W4W has served, offering real-time public visibility into its work. For donors, supporters, and partner communities, the dashboard signals that transparency becomes as essential as the work itself.
Country Director Jenica Dizon-Mountford later shared the news of a new multi-year partnership with Manulife Philippines, which will strengthen W4W’s capacity to bring clean water access to more communities in the years ahead.
For a clearer future
What began in the rubble of Yolanda now moves with intention into 2026. The organization’s next chapter is shaped by transparency, community-led action, and deeper collaborations. If 2025 was a year of milestones, 2026 aims to be a year of accountability where every supporter can trace their impact, and every community can see how far the mission reaches.
And after 12 years, the impact from Waves For Water Philippines continues to flow. The work ahead is vast, but so is the belief that every household deserves something simple yet life-changing—to have accessible, clean water for everyone who needs it.
