manila water foundation

Clean water and sanitation, as recognized by the United Nations, are vital to sustainable development and a dignified way of life. Access to clean, safe, and potable water still remains a privilege to billions of people around the globe. Responding to this developmental need at the core of the Manila Water business, it strives to uplift the lives of marginalized communities who lack access to these fundamental needs.

Manila Water Foundation (MWF) was established in 2005 as the company’s social development arm that promotes sustainable water access and safelymanaged sanitation facilities for all. It promotes water access, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education in the Philippines and other countries where it operates through community-based programs. Since its inception, the Foundation has reached out to 2,699,596 beneficiaries nationwide, with the combined contributions of all its programs.

The programs of the MWF supports and contributes to various UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Aside from Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, Manila Water Foundation also supports Goal 1: No Poverty, Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, Goal 14: Life Below Water and SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals.

INTEGRATED WASH PROGRAM

Crucial to realizing this goal and advancing its vision, MWF implements a holistic intervention of services according to WASH: Water Access, Sanitation, and Hygiene Education. First, MWF provides access to clean and potable water in selected communities. Second, MWF designs and builds toilets for communities to eliminate open defecation. Aligning with the first two phases, finally, MWF educates communities on the importance of proper hygiene practices as key to good health.

For the two pilot communities that MWF supports, namely, Sitio Monicayo and Barangay Sapang Uwak, both in the province of Pampanga, MWF has introduced its Integrated WASH Program as a communitybased agenda. In these two indigenous people communities, MWF upholds a participatory and inclusive approach to community engagement, where people are at the core of the development process who drive their own participation, thus ensuring success in WASH interventions.

Experts serve as resource persons or consultants for WASH projects and programs. They are Filipino engineers who have been recognized by MWF’s Prize of Engineering Excellence awards, which honors the men and women who have contributed to communities and society at large through innovations in the areas of water, sanitation, environment, and sustainability.

All Manila Water employees and stakeholders are invited to take part in WASH activities through concerted volunteerism programs.