Philippines

Water and Sanitation Issues in the Philippines

With a population of 113 million people, access to safe water in the Philippines is challenge for a significant proportion of the population. According to UN and UNICEF data, 53% of households in the Philippines lack access to a safely managed water supply and 39% lack safe sanitation. The situation in schools is even more serious, with 55% of schools lacking access to a safely managed water supply and 26% lacking safe sanitation.

55%

of schools lack access to a safely managed water supply
*The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP)​

26%

of schools lack safe sanitation.
*The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP)​

Our Work in the
Philippines

Planet Water Foundation has been active in the Philippines since 2010, and deployed over 410 clean water projects during this time, providing access to clean, safe water to over 830,000 people.

Our work includes the deployment of over 350 AquaTower water filtration systems which have been deployed in elementary schools across the country in conjunction with our water health and hygiene education program. Together, our solutions are helping to bring clean, safe water access to students, teachers and members of the communities surrounding our project sites.

Currently, our focus is on clean water projects in Baguio, Camarines Sur, Cebu, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Quezon, and Samar.

In addition, Planet Water Foundation has been active in disaster response work in the Philippines, deploying our AquaBlock Emergency Water Systems after natural disasters to provide clean water to people impacted by these events. Our work to date includes responses to Typhoon Odette, Typhoon Goni, and the Taal Volcanic eruption.

The aftermath of Odette has been devastating. Our water systems were destroyed. Many locals fetch water from the deep well but its quality got worse after the typhoon. The AquaTower and AquaBlock will greatly aid in addressing the health issues, and gaps in sanitation and hygiene of the families especially young children.
Rule Bano, Municipal Engineer
I always fear that germs from contaminated water will affect my son's health. Handwashing with soap and drinking safe water has always been a challenge in our village. With our situation, clean water is a luxury my family could not afford. I am relieved today as we now have an AquaTower where the students can easily wash their hands and get potable water
Editha Mercado, Parent

Our Project Clusters

Read more about our operational countries