Manila Water Foundation (MWF) led a set of month-long campaign activities echoing the theme for Global Handwashing Day (GHD) 2023: Clean Hands are Within Reach. Celebrated every 15th of October since 2008, GHD raises awareness on proper hand washing with soap and water at critical times of the day to avoid the spread of communicable diseases. Hand-in-hand with private and public sector partners, MWF organized onsite activities that demonstrate synergy in the promotion of hand hygiene for health and well-being.

High Five for Hand Washing

Manila Water Foundation was named by the Pasig City LGU Health Department as a co-presenter in two events for Apir Tayo, Pasigueño! This is in anticipation of the passage of the city ordinance to establish hand hygiene as an important public health component. Last October 9, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Vice Mayor Dodot Jaworski along with Pasig City Councilors opened the Global Handwashing Day Fair at the Pasig City Hall compound. The half-day event showcased products and innovations that champion hand hygiene. The first sectors to walk through the hand hygiene partners’ booth were women and Muslim market vendors, 4Ps beneficiaries, health workers, and PWD sector representatives.

The second event for Apir Tayo, Pasigueño was a Global Handwashing Day School Lecture last October 13. More than 600 Grade 2 students from Pasig Elementary School trooped to the school gym to be reminded about proper hand washing not only in school but also at home. To reach more graders, the Manila Water Foundation Handwashing Song was broadcasted in 5 other school campuses reaching out to an additional 2,000 Pasig City students.

Impacting rural elementary school students and communities last October, Manila Water Foundation led a hygiene education session called WASH-Aralan and bought soap supplies for Sapang Munti Elementary School in Norzagaray, Bulacan. In celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples Month, Manila Water Foundation and partners handed over hygiene products for Aeta communities from Bamban, Tarlac and Mabalacat, Pampanga.

Manila Water Foundation, Prime Infra Foundation Inc. and WawaJVCo, Inc. handed over 25 portable hand washing stations and hand hygiene products to schools in San Mateo, Rizal for the benefit of more than 2,500 learners, teachers, and staff on campus.

Hand-in-hand collaborations

The mission of Manila Water Foundation to bring WASH for All Communities is enabled by partnerships and synergies. Global technology company ROHM Electronics Philippines invited MWF to lead a WASH-Aralan for 120 student leaders of a school partner in Carmona, Cavite. Then, MWF, Prime Infra Foundation Inc. and WawaJVCo, Inc. handed over 25 portable hand washing stations and hand hygiene products to schools in San Mateo, Rizal for the benefit of more than 2,500 learners, teachers and staff on campus. The handover event was attended by Vice Governor Reynaldo San Juan Jr. who expressed gratitude to the leaders of Prime Infra and WawaJVCo, Inc. for investing in the health and well-being of the school community by enabling the habit of proper hand washing.

Grant a Wish of WASH

Manila Water Foundation closed the series of activities to celebrate Global Handwashing Day with a handover program called Grant a Wish of WASH for partners requesting WASH interventions. This was in partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Civil Relations Service and the Quezon City LGU. Representing Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Quezon City First District Representative Arjo Atayde was Quezon City First District Councilor and Majority Floor Leader Dorothy Delarmente. Nine (9) school campuses in Quezon City and the City of Manila received refrigerated drinking fountains and portable hand washing stations. Drinking kits with tumblers and supplies of soap were also handed over to the school partners. Grant a Wish of WASH will be for the benefit of more than 5,000 learners, teachers and staff.

Activating Billboards and Netizens for Hand Hygiene

Bringing the Global Handwashing Day campaign message to a wider audience, Manila Water Foundation led online contests, mobile phone video entry submissions and fun games on its social media accounts to promote handwashing. The GHD theme and reminder to regularly wash hands with soap and water were featured on electronic billboards along EDSA, in commercial areas and in the train line of LRT-2 for the whole month of October. Yet, the campaign for hand hygiene is a year-round mission for Manila Water Foundation. With valued partners from the private and public sector, Manila Water Foundation ensures that cleans hands are within reach.