In its continuing support for water access, sanitation, and hygiene or WASH in schools and special institutions, Manila Water, and its social development arm Manila Water Foundation (MWF) led a series of handovers and inaugurations of facilities for hydration and hand hygiene.
Manila Water and MWF recently turned over twenty-four (24) Refrigerated Drinking Fountains (RDFs) to public schools in Mandaluyong City, and five (5) RDFs for 5 public schools in District 5 of the City of Manila, through Project Drink Mandaluyong and Manila under MWF’s Lingap Program.
The RDFs will provide clean and refreshing drinking water to 57,000 learners and teachers in the 24 schools in Mandaluyong City, and 10,000 students and faculty in the City of Manila, both served by Manila Water.
The Lingap hydration program aligns with the Department of Education’s WASH in Schools program by providing potable drinking water to keep students and educators healthy and hydrated, especially on warm school days.
“Malinis at maayos ang tubig ng Manila Water; hindi natin problema ‘yan sa ating lugar. Thank you sa dami-dami ng schools, schools po sa Mandaluyong ang napili niyong suportahan. Nasa mahigit 57,000 students po ang makikinabang nito lalo na ngayon na napakainit ng panahon, kailangan po talaga natin ng malamig na tubig,” Mandaluyong City Vice Mayor Carmelita “Menchie” Abalos said.
(Manila Water provides clean and quality water; service is not a problem in our city. We thank MWF for choosing to support our schools in Mandaluyong. This will be for the benefit of more than 57,000 students, especially now that we are experiencing intense heat, to have cold drinking water is a must.)
“Sa tuwing mayroon tayong partnership with Manila Water and Manila Water Foundation, maraming magagandang nangyayari. Napakahalaga po ng mga proyekto nila, tulad ng paglalagay ng mga drinking fountains, at pati na rin ang mga nagawa na nila dati, gaya ng mga handwashing at sanitation facilities,” City of Manila District 5 Representative Raymundo “Mon” Yupangco shares.
(Our partnership with Manila Water and MWF has always been fruitful and productive. Their projects are very relevant, just like the installation of drinking fountains, and handwashing and sanitation facilities.)
Additionally, MWF inaugurated the Water Asset Installation and Rehabilitation (WAIR) project at Hulo Integrated School in Mandaluyong City.
MWF also inaugurated another WAIR project and handed over two RDFs to the Missionaries of the Poor in San Andres Bukid, Manila, through the project Lingap Ampunan.
The Lingap and Health in our Hands projects support the health and well-being of learners in schools and children in special institutions amid the intense temperature and rise in heat index, while the Lingap Ampunan project improves the water supply and water pressure at the care center to meet the daily water demand, supporting the health and well-being of the community, including individuals with special needs and the elderly.
Under the WAIR Project, a 2,000-liter water tank along with a booster pump was installed. The inauguration marked the completion of the repair and rehabilitation of the water pipes in Hulo Integrated School to ensure that the WASH needs of the students, teachers, staff, and the community are met, and diseases are prevented.
All events were capped with the distribution of drinking kits containing drinking water tumblers, Cleene Clio toothbrushes from PHILUSA Corporation, and info-education materials on proper toothbrushing and hand washing.