Pouring efforts for a safe and sufficient water service

Water facilities have always been essential for health. But since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic deepens the importance of sanitation, the demand for clean and adequate water supply continues to overflow.

The Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad), aside from providing water solutions for 17 cities and municipalities that cover the West Zone of the Metropolitan Manila area, donated water-related needs for various communities, which also involved support in addressing the COVID-19 crisis.

In October last year, Maynilad strengthened its hand washing campaign by donating hand wash stations and soaps to several local government units (LGUs) and public schools.

Across its West concession area, the water company set up 26 hand-wash stations, where it also gave 1,170 one-liter liquid hand soaps.

Maynilad supported the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Brigada Eskwela 2020. It donated 1,878 one-gallon bottles of liquid hand soaps and disinfectants to some schools. It also provided around 250 posters that showed proper hand washing instructions to the DepEd-Quezon City Schools Division Office.

The water company continued to support DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela this year, donating essential supplies to 70 public schools in Metro Manila and Cavite. It gave 1,400 one-gallon bottles of liquid hand soaps and disinfectants and 800 buckets to different schools. The faculty and other school personnel received 4,600 washable face masks.

Amid the pandemic, Maynilad supported urban poor communities as well through sustaining its livelihood programs.

Maynilad tapped its pro-poor water service delivery program, Samahang Tubig Maynilad (STM) communities in Tondo, Manila and Riverview, Quezon City to create soaps, disinfectants, and face masks. It organized livelihood seminars and skills development training for these STM communities. The said communities, with their products for sale to Maynilad and other buyers, have their income somehow increased.

Hydration support was also provided to frontliners. In the first month of COVID-19 quarantine, Maynilad gave 15,000 bottled water pieces to the Philippine Navy, Philippine National Police, Metro Manila Development Authority, National Capital Region Police Office, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Philippine General Hospital, several local government units, and to different checkpoints.

Maynilad once more provided hydration support to medical frontliners last April. Asian Hospital and Medical Center, Makati Medical Center, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Manila Doctors Hospital, De Los Santos Medical Center, Dr. Jesus C. Delgado Memorial Hospital, Lourdes Hospital, and Sacred Heart Hospital of Malolos were among the 42 private and public hospitals in Metro Manila that received 14,000 bottled water pieces and meals from Maynilad.

Moreover, last year, the water company assisted in growing the testing capacity of the Philippines by building a P15-million COVID-19 testing and laboratory center inside the Delos Santos Medical Center compound in Quezon City.

Maynilad also made an effort to protect its employees through COVID-19 vaccinations. This month, employees, including their family members and household companions, started to get their vaccines at the Maynilad Head Office in Old Balara, Quezon City. — Chelsey Keith P. Ignacio