MANILA, Philippines — You can say that the winners must be flushed with pride and success.
Fourteen business establishments, mostly in the country’s tourism sector, are being recognized for meeting one of the paramount requisites of the trade: Having restrooms that are not only clean but also exemplars of of proper wastewater treatment.
They are the first ever recipients of the “Seal of Good Toilet-Keeping”—a citation conferred by Maynilad Water Services Inc. and the Department of Tourism (DOT).
Introduced this year, the project is part of the “Maynilad Kubeta PH X It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign, an advocacy aimed at spreading awareness of proper wastewater management in the country.
Highest standards
Announced on Thursday were the 14 awardees: Azumi Boutique Hotel in Muntinlupa City, Barbara’s Heritage Restaurant in Intramuros, Manila, Casa Buenas in Pasay City, Conrad Manila in Pasay City, Diamond Hotel Philippines in Manila, Kingsford Hotel in Parañaque City, Mama Lou’s Kitchen in Pasay City, Marriott Hotel Manila in Pasay City, Palacio de Memoria in Parañaque City, Sheraton Manila Hotel in Pasay City, SLT Gasmart Corp. (Shell service station) in Muntinlupa City, Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City, Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City, and The Mella Hotel in Las Piñas City.
The Seal serves as proof of an establishment’s adherence to the highest standards of toilet maintenance, in line with the DOT’s thrust toward sustainable tourism and the Asean Public Toilet Standard, a safety, sanitation and engineering code crafted and adopted by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2016.
Renewable
The citation may be renewed yearly if the recipient will continue to pass another round of physical and document “audits” relating to their toilets and wastewater treatment systems.
To earn the Seal, the awardees went through a stringent evaluation process that considered not only the cleanliness, overall appearance, and maintenance of their toilet facilities, but also their compliance with government laws and regulations related to wastewater management. The audits were conducted by Maynilad’s Wastewater Management team.
“When Maynilad launched Kubeta PH back in 2016, we had one goal in mind—to bring conversations about proper wastewater management to the mainstream,” Maynilad president and chief executive Ramoncito Fernandez said in a statement.
“We continue to raise wastewater awareness through this campaign, and this partnership with DOT will definitely help us reach more people,” Fernandez added.
The awardees were announced in time for today’s observance of World Toilet Day, which was introduced unofficially in 2001 and made an official United Nations event in 2012.