Manila Water recognized by UN Women for gender equality efforts

Manila Water was recognized as the country’s Community Engagement and Partnerships Champion, while President and CEO Jocot de Dios was the first runner-up for Leadership Commitment at the 2024 Philippines UN Women’s Empowerment Principles Awards.

Manila Water was lauded as the country’s Community Engagement and Partnerships Champion, while its President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jocot de Dios, was named first runner-up for Leadership Commitment at the 2024 Philippines United Nations (UN) Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards last November 27.

The company’s winning entry for the Community Engagement and Partnerships category was the Integrated Water Access, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Program. It focuses on providing tailor-fit solutions—often women-led—that enable resources to build and enhance water access and sanitation infrastructure, strengthen knowledge on water and sanitation management, and engage in valuable partnerships to champion the provisions of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6—Clean Water and Sanitation for All.

The WASH program also supports UN SDG 5—Gender Equality, as it promotes the active participation of the community leaders and members, especially women, and involves them in the development of local policies that facilitate proper management of their water system assets and build their competency on water stewardship.

Manila Water Foundation, the company’s social development arm, oversees the program and other efforts in delivering shared value for vulnerable sectors and communities beyond the East Zone concession area.

WASH also was the second runner-up in the same category at the UN Women Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards Regional Ceremony held online last December 3.

The 2024 Philippines UN Women WEPs Awards also named Manila Water President and CEO Jocot de Dios as the first runner-up for Leadership Commitment. He expressed his gratitude to the UN WEPs organization for recognizing the gender and women-empowering programs of Manila Water.

“This award is an affirmation of our 27-year legacy. I think it really shows that we’re all on the right path. [We had] very interesting messages earlier on, and I think that will fuel our resolve to continue to greater things together. Mabuhay po ang kababaihan,” de Dios said during his acceptance speech for the company’s Community Engagement and Partnerships Champion award.

Under de Dios’ leadership, Manila Water has cemented its commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) by signing the company’s DEI Policy and by pushing for its inclusion in the list of UN WEPs signatories.

He also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage-Regulatory Office to advance gender and development (GAD), which enables Manila Water to participate in GAD programs of government agencies and non-governmental organizations.

These were reinforced through employee benefits enhancement, communication campaigns, training, and engagement activities aligned with themed events like National Women’s Month; Pride Month, which was celebrated for the first time in the company; and National Disability Rights Week.

The WEPs Awards is organized by the UN Women’s Gender Action Lab: Innovation and Impact for Gender Equality in Asia-Pacific and supported by the Government of Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.