By Glen Jacob Jose

As schools reopen this coming Monday, mainly in a face-to-face class set-up, Manila Water Company, through the Manila Water Foundation, continues to champion water access, sanitation, and hygiene or WASH in schools in its service areas through the Lingap Eskwela program.

In Maximo Estrella Senior High School in Makati City, Manila Water Foundation, together with its partner Rotary Club of Makati North, inaugurated a multi-faucet hand hygiene facility to promote handwashing for a safe learning environment for students and teachers. Manila Water Chief Regulatory Officer, MWF Chairperson, RCMN President Donato Almeda, and MWF Executive Director Reginald Andal were present at the event.

Schools in Taguig City and the Municipality of Pateros also received hand hygiene facilities through the #SafeWASH program of MWF and P&G Safeguard Philippines. As a result, 29 sets of 10-faucet hand hygiene facilities were given to Taguig City and Pateros schools at the joint inauguration held at Ricardo P. Cruz Sr. Elementary School. 

In May, six sets of 10-faucet hand hygiene facilities were also turned over to schools in Pateros at the inauguration at Pateros Elementary School.

Aside from the construction and distribution of hygiene facilities, hygiene supplies, and info-education materials were also distributed, and hygiene education sessions were conducted to inform students of proper handwashing and health protocols in schools.

The project also supports the WASH in Schools or WinS Program of the Department of Education and the BIDA Kid Campaign of the Department of Health.

Aside from hygiene facilities, Manila Water also provided technical assistance to more than 1,300 schools within its service areas, which involves checking restrooms, faucets, and water meters and the construction of drinking fountains and washrooms.

Manila Water also assures the public of adequate water supply for school opening with various supply augmentation projects completed, such as the Cardona Water Treatment Plant and Marikina Portable Water Treatment Plant, with a combined capability to provide an additional 120 million liters per day (MLD) in Manila Water’s service areas. Emergency reservoirs were also constructed in various schools and are ready to be commissioned in times of emergencies.