Tanay Water District conducted on Thursday, March 20, the “SOAK N’ WASH” (Strengthening One’s Awareness and Knowledge in Water Sanitation and Hygiene) Campaign at the National Child Development Center (NCDC) building in Brgy. Katipunan-Bayani.
The half-day program – with pupils and their guardians at the NCDC as the event’s audience and beneficiaries – coincided with the celebration of World Water Day.
Members of the TanWD Board of Directors (BOD) graced the activity, including Civic Sector representative Dir. Mary Fe Fatima Gonzales, BOD Secretary and Education Sector representative Dir. Alpha Competente, and BOD Vice Chairperson and Professional Sector representative Dir. Atty. Maricris Matienzo.
TanWD’s top Management likewise attended the event, led by General Manager B, Mr. Emmanuel Catolos.
Also present were the CSR SOAK N’ WASH organizing committee members led by Ms. Vickyflor P. Catapusan, Administrative, Finance, and Commercial Services Department Manager B as Chairperson and Mr. Emmanuel Peñada, Commercial Services Division Manager B, as Vice-Chairperson.
The other committee members who assisted during the event included Mr. Antonio Monasterial, Jr., Customer Services Officer A, Mr. Jimson Bañez, Administration Services Assistant A, and Ms. Nelsa Azul, Clerk Processor D.
Representatives from the Finance Services Division, Engineering Division, and Water Resources Division likewise showed their support for the activity.
TanWD’s Push for Community WASH Awareness
Ms. Lolita Pelegria, NCDC teacher, welcomed the TanWD delegation. Meanwhile, Dir. Alpha Competente delivered the welcome message. Ms. Catapusan, on the other hand, explained the event’s rationale.
The event featured lectures on various modules relevant to WASH.
Ms. Dona Bella Peñalver, Minutes Agenda Officer B, discussed Module 1 titled “Washing Your Hands.” She also talked about Module 2, “Using A Toilet,”. Corporate Budget Specialist B, Ms. Rejean Santos, explained the Module 3, called “Keeping Bodies Clean” and the final Module, titled “Water.”
GM Catolos, meanwhile, delivered the closing remarks. He explained that the SOAK N’ WASH IEC initiative is Tanay Water District’s way of strengthening its relationship with the Tanayan community. GM Catolos stressed that the District seeks to achieve this strong community tie by teaching the youth about the importance of WASH at the earliest age possible.
The activity ended with the awarding of certificates and distribution of hygiene kits to NCDC children. A surprise appearance by the Jollibee mascot offered a much-needed dose of fun to the participants.
Rationale
Ms. Catapusan explained that the activity is the District’s Information and Education Campaign (IEC) initiative to ensure that community members, beginning with children, are fully aware of the need to practice proper water sanitation and hygiene. Ms. Catapusan said that through improved WASH awareness and practices, the District hopes to ‘improve public health and well-being of the program’s target participants and beneficiaries.’
Accordingly, the event forms part of the District’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), specifically concerning Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.
SDG 6 seeks to “ensure that everyone has access to clean water and sanitation,” TanWD records reveal. Additionally, SDG 6’s targets include “access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all,” which also involves campaigning to “end open defecation.” The same SDG likewise calls for initiatives “paying special attention to the needs of women and girls in vulnerable situations.”
Among SDG 6’s key success indicators is “a proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services and handwashing facility with soap and water.”
The District says it aims to implement its CSR WASH IEC program in schools and other sectors of the community. TanWD adds that it not only seeks to achieve the SDG 6 indicators, but also hopes to “significantly improve the lives of its target participants.”
