University of Science and Technology of Southern

Philippines
C.M. Recto Avenue, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City
Tel Nos. (08822)72-60-65/ (088)-856-1739 TeleFax (088)856-4696

Case Study of the Common Problem of Water

Engineering Resources in Philippines

Michelle Valledor

Engr. Jhong Dalona

Water Sanitation Problem in Philippines
Out of 101 million Filipinos, nine million rely on unimproved,
unsafe and unsustainable water sources and 19 million lack
access to improved sanitation. Families without a safe water
source in or near their home often spend significant time and
energy collecting water. Those without a sanitary toilet facility at
home face a number of unattractive choices, including venturing
out at night or suffering the embarrassment of asking to use the
toilet of a neighbor.

Thus, Filipinos consider water and sanitation access a matter

of safety, pride, progress, and convenience, in addition to the
health considerations. While about 75 percent of surveyed Filipinos
expressed an interest in a water and sanitation loan, previously
few banks or microfinance institutions offered loans specifically
tailored to this purpose.

The disposal and treatment of human waste is a serious issue

in the Philippines. The country's National Sewerage and Septage
Management Program (NSSMP) says around 55 people die every
day in the country of nearly 100 million because more than 90
percent of the country's sewage is not collected or treated
properly. Only 10 percent of the country's population has access
to piped sewage systems; and the NSSMP says that many
Filipinos who have toilets "do not have septic tanks; many septic
tanks have open bottoms; and most septic tanks are not regularly
desludged and the septage removed is not treated and disposed
of properly."

"Over 30 million people in the Philippines do not have access to

improved sanitation facilities," says Katrina Arianne Ebora, who
works on UNICEF's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene program in the
Philippines "Out of this, 7.8 million people, or roughly 8 percent of
the country's population don't have access to sanitation facilities
at all - [thus they] resort to open defecation, meaning they have
to defecate in the bushes, in the field, or at the seashore," she
said.

Every day nearly 10 million (or 1 in 10) Filipinos defecate in

open places or use a plastic bag that is then thrown out with the
trash, according to the United Nations' Sustainable Development
Fund, which is lower than the international average of 1 in 7
people.

Half of Filipino households, as of 2011, did not try to make

their drinking water safe, according to the latest National Nutrition
Survey (NNS). Not everyone has access to proper sanitation and
hygiene. This can impact on individual health, and in the long-run,
the countrys overall productivity.

Providing better water systems can help improve socio-

economic, health and nutrition status of households, the Food
and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) advised.

Every 21 seconds, a child dies globally from water-related

illnesses, international non-profit organization Water.org estimated.
This is mostly due to water contaminated by fecal matter
because many families still lack toilets. Unsafe water kills more
people than violence and wars each year, the United Nations
said. Combined with poor sanitation, it is the worlds second
biggest killer of children.

As of 2010, 16% of Filipino households lacked access to clean

and potable water, the National Statistical Coordination Board
reported. (READ: 55 die daily due to lack of proper PH sewerage)

Annually, around 6,000 Filipinos die prematurely from such

diseases. In fact, diarrhea is the countrys second leading cause of
death, the Department of Health (DOH) stressed. The percentage
of Filipino households depending on bottled water has been
increasing, but not everyone can afford this. Water is not only
necessary for drinking, but also for cooking and agriculture.
Hence, the lack of it may also contributes to malnutrition, says the
World Health Organization (WHO).

The UN recognizes one's access to water and sanitation as a

basic human right:

Sufficient: Individuals need 50-100 liters of water/day for personal

and domestic use. Poor families use only 5 liters or less, equivalent
to what rich countries use to flush toilets

Safe: no harmful microorganisms, chemicals, health threats

Accessible: Water source must be within 1,000 meters of the

house; collection time should not exceed 30 minutes. Meanwhile,
some Filipinos still walk long distances while carrying heavy
buckets of water to and from their house (READ: Future of PH rural
roads)

Affordable: Water costs should not exceed 3% of the household

income

The UN declared 2005-2015 as the water for life decade,

encouraging countries to create policies and actions addressing
water issues. Despite the UN Resolution, some Filipinos still remain
thirsty, hungry, and dirty daily.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) include halving

the population without access to drinking water; this was
achieved in 2010. However, a lot of work is yet to be done in terms
of sustainability, safety, and reliability.

Those in urban areas have better access to water services

and toilets than those in rural areas, according to UN Water.

These water-related problems hinder countries from

achieving other MDGs such as improving health and education,
reducing hunger, poverty, maternal and infant deaths, and
ensuring environmental sustainability.
 With enough research and government support, water may
also be tapped as an energy source hence contributing to
economy and sustainable development. Climate change and
pollution also affect water availability and may intensify droughts
which can then impact livelihoods and food security.

By 2030, the UN expects global food and water demand to

double. Water resources must be properly managed; otherwise,
supply may not meet the demand.

To address the issue, the Philippines has the Water Code of

1976 and the National Water Resources Board which focus on
water resources ownership and management.

The country has the "Sanitation Code of 1975" which sets

standards on food, water, toilets, among other public goods,
services, and establishments. The DOH also prescribed standards
on drinking water. Not all Filipinos, however, directly benefit from
these policies.

In 2011, then senator Eduardo Angara filed SB 2997 or the

"Water Sector Reform Act" which proposed to increase funds and
to improve the country's water supply and sanitation
management.

The bill remains pending.

Worldwide, women spend roughly 200 million hours per day

collecting water, Water.org estimated. This translates to 6 hours
per woman or girl, UN said. These hours could have been better
spent at school.

In many countries, including the Philippines, women are

primarily expected to feed the family. This burden is often shared
by mothers and daughters alone.

Around 2 liters of water/day is needed for meal preparation,

individuals drink 2-4 liters/day, while lactating mothers need at
least 7.5 liters/day. Water is also needed for cleaning, laundry, and
maintaining plants or livestock.

This may not seem much, but for poor households, this may
already seem too much and too expensive.The task to secure all
these is often shouldered by poor women. Another problem is the
lack of clean and safe toilets for girls.

The UN observed that some girls across poor countries avoid

drinking water at school to avoid urination, thereby becoming
dehydrated and unable to concentrate. They did this either
because their schools have no or have poorly maintained toilets.

Girls would also stay away from school when menstruating,

UN added.

In agriculture, if female farmers had the same access to

irrigation as men, their yields could increase by at least 30%; this
could help 150 million hungry people, according to UN Water.

Improper waste management is one of the major causes of

pollution, which then contributes to poor health. Photo by Fritzie
Rodriguez/Rappler.com

Improper sanitation and hygiene may lead to illnesses such

as dehydration, cholera, diarrhea, malaria, typhoid, intestinal
worms, eye infections, and even skin and bone problems.

Waterborne diseases are more common among developing

nations either because people cannot afford proper services or
are unaware of sanitation standards. Or governments provide
poor social services and infrastructure.

"Investing in water and sanitation is costly. Yet evidence has

shown that the cost of not ensuring access to drinking water and
sanitation is even higher in terms of public health and lost work
and school days," the UN warned.
 In 2010, DOH, together with the Department of the Interior
and Local Government and the National Anti-Poverty Commission
(NAPC), began conducting the "Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig Sa
Lahat Program."

The program provides capacity-building for local government

units and water service providers, as well as water supply systems
for waterless areas:

Municipalities
Barangays
Health centers
Resettlement sites

As of 2012, the program has covered 290 out of its 455 targeted
beneficiaries. It plans to cover the rest from 2013-2016, with an
annual budget of P1.5 billion, according to a NAPC statement.

Its end goals are to increase water service for the waterless
population by 50%, to improve sanitation services, and to reduce
cases of water and sanitation-related diseases.

The UN cited the inadequate treatment of human waste, as

well as agricultural and industrial wastes, as the most common
sources of water pollution.

As an alternative, some Filipinos use the streets, bodies of water,

and their backyards as toilets and garbage disposals.

A 2006 UN study found that families from Manila slums pay 5-10
times more for water than those from high-income areas. They
also pay more than those in London and New York. In Manila, the
cost of connecting to the [water] utility represents about 3
months income for the poorest 20% of households, the study
said.

These conditions violate ones rights to water and sanitation.

"Right to water does not mean free water for all, but affordable
water. On the other hand, some Filipinos indifferent to the needs
and woes of others tend to waste and take water for granted.