Program hailed as Outstanding CSR Collaboration Project in the 2023 LCF Guild Awards

The ‘Light Up to WASHup! Beaming Forces for Good in the Ipo Watershed’ project of Manila Water Foundation (MWF) and One Meralco Foundation (OMF) has been recently recognized as the Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility Collaboration Project in the CSR Guild Awards 2023 of the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF).

Water and power are transformative forces that shape lives and determine the future of households and communities. However, in some parts of the country, access to these fundamental services continues to be a challenge due to geographic, infrastructure and lack of funding factors. Such is the case of a Dumagat community in the Ipo Watershed located in Sitio Sapang Munti, Norzagaray, Bulacan.  The watershed is where millions of Metro Manila residents draw their drinking water from yet, those who live near it thirst for better water access.

To address this, MWF and OMF joined forces in the installation of a water treatment and distribution system powered by solar to serve 122 families in the said community. 

MWF and OMF inaugurated the Water Access Electrification Program with the residents of Sitio Sapang Munti in December 2022. The said project involves the construction of a water treatment and distribution facility powered by a solar photovoltaic (PV) system.

A big win for a “small” community

MWF started work with Sitio Sapang Munti in 2021 and the big gaping need was the development of the water system infrastructure that needed to be energized. This came as OMF was looking for a pilot project for their Water Access Electrification Program, which supports the energy needs of water access programs in last mile and off-grid communities.

For Sitio Sapang Munti, MWF put up a water treatment and distribution facility and this was powered by a solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed by OMF. Since December 2022, the water system supplies 32 cubic meters of reliable, clean water to the families, supporting community health and productivity. 

In addition, through OMF’s Light Up Pilipinas program, solar headlamps were distributed to 55 Bantay Gubat forest rangers, to aid them as they patrol and protect the forest from illegal activities especially at night. An additional of 116 solar lamps were also distributed to households in the community. 

This collaboration between MWF and OMF holds promise for off-grid communities where the Integrated WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) program and Electrification for Water Access shine the light of hope for isolated communities in the shadow of disadvantage.

Long-time Sitio Sapang Munti resident Maritess Cruz shared how this project impacts on their lives. 

“Nu’ng nakikita namin na may gumagawa na, parang napapalundag kami sa tuwa. Ito na 'yung matagal naming inaasam. Nakakasigurado po kami na 'yung dumadaloy na tubig ay malinis po, hindi lang po para sa amin, dahil siyempre kami matatanda na kami - para po sa mga anak-anak namin. Pakikinabangan po nila ito nang mahabang panahon, [We were overjoyed when the construction [of the water system] started.  We have been hoping for this. We are assured that water is clean, not only for us, but most especially for our children who will benefit from this for the years to come.]” she said.

In his acceptance speech, MWF Executive Director Reginald Andal pointed out how the program brought the much-needed service to the community. “Ipo Dam provides water for 98% of Metro Manila and yet more than 120 households in Ipo Watershed do not have safe and clean water until this collaboration happened. They now have a 3-kilometer pipeline and 17 watering points. The families don’t need to walk for hours just to fetch clean water at the spring source. The time saved will be spent to care for the family and the children,” Andal said.

Andal continued with the importance of water and electricity for this project. “Sabi nila mawalan na ng kuryente ‘wag lang tubig pero sa proyektong ito hindi pwede mawalan ng kuryente dahil mawawalan ng tubig, [They say it’s better not to have electricity than water, but in this case, we need electricity to keep the system working and ensure continued water supply.]” he added.

For his part, OMF President Jeffrey Tarayao highlighted how partnerships in CSR can bring life-changing opportunities for the marginalized and even transform the way foundations can work together to address the sustainable development goals. 

“If the concern is deeply rooted in helping provide opportunities and hope for the marginalized, there are many things that we can do together to really give our people the chance develop,” Tarayao said.

“OMF’s partnership with MWF represents how we have put into action our shared aspiration for these fundamental needs of water and power to be enjoyed by all even for Filipinos living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas of the country,” he added.

MWF and OMF hope to inspire more organizations to form synergies of impact and positive change. The two organizations dedicate the win at the 2023 CSR Guild Awards to the families of Sitio Sapang Munti, who are the real big winners of this fusion for good. “We also move to protect life on land through watershed protection and management programs. The company’s watershed management can help improve biodiversity and contribute to carbon sequestration that can mitigate the effects of climate change.” says Jocot De Dios, Manila Water President and CEO.