Sanitation Updates

Three years ago, residents of coastal and upland villages in San Fernando City polluted their drinking water with their own excreta. Today, they take pains to practice safe hygiene and sanitation. An innocent looking dry toilet (UDDT - urine-diverting dehydration toilet) and an untiring city mayor propelled this shift through a 2-town ecological sanitation pilot project that has evolved into a citywide movement. Can the city carry the momentum forward to the entire province and neighboring towns?

Read more: ADB, Mar 2008

Below are links to interesting WSP reports from the WSP May 2008 Newsletter:

1 - Title: Lessons from a Low-Cost Ecological Approach to Sanitation in Malawi (pdf, full-text)

Low cost Ecological Sanitation programs in Malawi have led to the building of over 11,000 compostproducing toilets since 2003. While the toilets are affordable and simple to construct, the fact that they convert human waste into valuable odor-free compost, enables cost recovery for households and is a prime driver in popularizing EcoSan designs.

2 - Title: Economic Impacts of Sanitation in Southeast Asia-Summary (pdf, full-text)

This document is published in light of the International Year of Sanitation 2008. It is a summary of a four-country study in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam under WSP’s Economics of Sanitation Initiative (ESI). This study examines the major health, water, environmental, tourism and other welfare impacts associated with poor sanitation in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. By examining the economic impacts of poor sanitation, and the potential gains from improved sanitation, this study provides important evidence to support the need for investment in sanitation.

3 - Economic Impacts of Sanitation in the Philippines-Summary (pdf, full-text)

This is a detailed individual country report that delves into the major health, water, environmental, tourism and other welfare impacts associated with poor sanitation in the Philippines. The report shows decision makers at the country how the negative impacts of poor sanitation can be mitigated by investing in improved sanitation.

4 - Economic Impacts of Sanitation in Vietnam-Summary (pdf, full-text)

This document looks into the major health, water, environmental, tourism and other welfare impacts associated with poor sanitation in Vietnam. The report shows decision makers in Vietnam how the negative impacts of poor sanitation can be mitigated by investing in improved sanitation.

The executive director of the National Water Resources Board in Dumaguete City is calling on local chief executives to make sure that sanitation is observed in public facilities in their localities. Ramon Alikpala of the NWRB said public places such as city and municipal halls should have safe, clean water and soap in the public comfort rooms.

He said the province takes this issue more seriously and should be commended for trying to increase awareness of this problem that is plaguing the entire country. (…)

The Department of Interior and Local Government said almost 31 percent of the reported illnesses in the country from 1996-2000 were caused by unsafe water due to poor sanitation. Contaminated drinking water is one of the most prevalent causes of illnesses, and about 18 Filipinos die each day from water and sanitation-related causes, the DILG added.

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ASTURIAS Mayor Allan Adlawan said his office would take over water distribution in barangay Sta. Lucia after tests showed bacteria contamination of wells and faucets in the waterworks reservoir.

One person died and 15 others fell ill of typhoid fever in the barangay.

Tests on seven water sources showed that five of these were contaminated with salmonella bacteria that can cause typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever and foodborne illnesses.

Read More - Cebu Daily News

MAYOR Constantino G. Jaraula on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with an American company supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) for the implementation of a sanitation project in Cagayan de Oro City.

The MOU was formally sealed with Jaraula signing on behalf of the City Government and Lisa Kircher Lumbao representing the Aecom Internal Development, an American company implementing a cooperative agreement funded by USAid for the Philippine Sanitation Alliance project.

Read More - Sun Star

Dumaguete City (27 March) — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in partnership with the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) will hold a two-day regional summit on sustainable sanitation this coming April 2-3, 2008 at the Provincial Convention Center, Dumaguete City.

Responding to the urgent call to take action on the crises of sanitation, the summit is inspired by the theme “Sharing our Contribution in Building a Strong Nation through Sustainable Sanitation”. It aims to raise awareness among decision-makers for the necessity of a well functioning and sustainable sanitation and encourage them to invest more on sanitation.

Read More - PIA News

Tacloban City (March 14) — The First Provincial Launch of the International Year of Sanitation will be conducted today at the province of Eastern Samar particularly at the picturesque municipality of Guiuan.

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Tacloban City (10 March) — Centered on the theme “Sanitasyon ang Solusyon”, 2008 has been declared as the National Year of Sanitation through a Presidential Proclamation, based on the United Nations General Assembly declaring 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation.

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One of the activities identified and to be implemented by the National Center for Health Development in coordination with the Local Government Units is the National Search for the Barangay with Best Sanitation Practices.

Read More - PIA Information Services

 BALI, Indonesia, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) — Four countries in Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam have suffered 9 billion U.S. dollars economic loss annually due to poor implementation of sanitation, about 2 percent of their combined GDP, a recent study conducted by the World Bank has said.

The study said that Indonesia, the biggest Southeast Asia economy, had suffered the most losses of 6.3 billion U.S. dollar per year.

Indonesia has struggled to save its state budget from the impact of the global economic slowdown, soaring oil price and commodities, as well as high inflation pressure. The government has planned to widen the budget deficit from 1.7 percent of the GDP or 73.3 trillion rupiah (about 7.97 billion U.S. dollars) to 2percent of the GDP or 83.7 trillion rupiah (some 9.1 billion U.S. dollars).

Read More -  China View

At the very least, it makes people stop and stare. The unusual stone monument of a doctor standing 16 feet tall, washing the behind of a half-naked boy atop a toilet bowl, heralds a city’s successful sanitation and hygiene programs.The monument in front of the Palengke ng Marikina near city hall depicts the likeness of Dr. Isaac Eustaquio, the first Filipino to earn a Public Health degree from Harvard University in the United States.

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando, a former mayor of Marikina and husband of incumbent Mayor Marides Fernando, said the statue reminds residents that the city is one of the cleanest in the country, where everyone values sanitation and personal hygiene.

Read More - The Philippine Star