April 22, 2009

 

Protecting Our Children: Linking Water, Sanitation and the Environment

U.S. Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney and Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas-Nazareno, City of Santa Rosa, participated in “WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Day” in celebration of Earth Day, April 22, 2009 at the Coca Cola Bottling Plant. The event was sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-Philippine Sanitation Alliance (PSA), in partnership with the City of Santa Rosa, Laguna. The WASH Day is part of the week-long Earth Day celebrations organized by the City of Santa Rosa and the Save Silang-Santa Rosa River Foundation in Laguna.

During the event, the Coca Cola Export Corporation and USAID-PSA formalized their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding.  Coca Cola will be generously supporting promotion campaigns on sanitation, including a campaign in Santa Rosa to reduce the incidence of diarrhea among children under five in three of the poorest barangays. 

Domestic and commercial water pollution caused by rapid urbanization poses significant health risks and long-term environmental and economic consequences for the Philippines. According to the World Bank, more than 90% of the sewage generated in the Philippines is not treated, so it pollutes the coastal waters, harming biodiversity, and causing disease outbreaks.  This results in more than 55 deaths per day and P78 billion in annual economic losses.

USAID-PSA works in partnership with local government units in developing comprehensive promotions programs to reduce the incidence of diarrhea through proper handwashing with soap, focusing on mothers with children under the age of five.  The PSA also provides technical assistance to cities, water utilities and private companies in designing and building treatment facilities and developing city-wide septage management programs.  In Muntinlupa City, USAID-PSA helped the city in constructing  low-cost, low-maintenance wastewater treatment facility that treat water coming out of the public market before it is released to the Laguna Lake.  In partnership with Dumaguete City and the local water district, USAID-PSA is helping the city in the implementation of a citywide septage management system that complements a wastewater treatment facility.  The City of Santa Rosa and USAID-PSA are also developing a wastewater treatment plant for the city’s public hospital, and planning a treatment plant for the City’s public market.  

For the past five years, USAID has provided support for the water and sanitation sector through public private partnerships that are achieving on-the-ground improvements in sanitation and corresponding health benefits, substantial private sector investments in sanitation, increased capacity of local governments to address sanitation challenges, protecting biodiversity and increased public awareness.

 

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