The state of water sanitation in the Philippines—and what’s being done about it

At its core, the biggest roadblock to water sanitation is poverty. Most families in impoverished communities simply don’t have access to clean water. As urbanisation continues, many are being left behind to rely on the environment around them. 

“Part of the issue is the need to build up or upgrade our water service providers. It’s estimated that about 68.9 per cent of the Philippines’ water districts are operational at varying levels. To address this challenge, the Master Plan calls for a total investment of over a trillion pesos to achieve universal access to water by 2030,” shares Limbo.

Read more: Eco-Warriors: Atty Angela Consuelo Ibay on finding the middle ground when defending the environment in court

LIXIL and its brands—such as American Standard for bathroom essentials, GROHE for luxury fittings for bathrooms and kitchens, and INAX providing innovative and artistic sanitaryware—offer plenty of products with anti-bacterial properties to incorporate into homes—furthering sanitation. Though these products may be deemed for the upper class, the company’s expertise in water technology has enabled it to develop an alternative for lower-income households with little to no access to clean water. The social business SATO has enabled affordable water sanitation and hygiene services for all since 2013 with the award-winning SATO Pan. “As of mid-2023, LIXIL has improved the lives of over 45 million people around the world through SATO… In addition to product innovation, we collaborate with local manufacturers and NGOs to nurture local human capital to maximise the benefits and impact of SATO product installations,” says Limbo.

Aside from offering innovative solutions for better water hygiene, LIXIL has several initiatives to address climate change, water sustainability, and sanitation. For instance, LIXIL in 2019 partnered with UNICEF to tackle the sanitation problem in India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, reaching over 2.9 million people. 

“As a company, we’re motivated to create solutions and products that impact the lives of over 1  billion people every day… We also have a number of globally significant initiatives for LIXIL and our partners,” shares Limbo. 

Read more: Eco-Warriors: Dr Alyssa Peleo-Alampay on making topics of sustainability and climate change accessible to children

While we still have a long way to go in achieving clean water for all, the future looks hopeful for the Philippines—with the PWSSMP in place to further water sanitation for impoverished communities, an upward trend in sanitation and hygiene, and more investments made by the private and public sectors.

“Everyone can play a part in helping to achieve better sanitation… Reducing personal consumption of water resources can also help to support better sanitation. You can consider supporting brands and products that are sustainable or environmentally friendly. By choosing water-saving, energy-efficient products, we can collectively consume less water resources that can be redirected to our community or national needs,” says Limbo. 

NOW READ

The sustainability startup helping other businesses earn while closing the loop

Eco-Warriors: Lou Albano on the role of journalism in achieving a more sustainable future

Eco-Warriors: Gretchen Ho on how much difference in society can donating a bicycle make