Advocating water access, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education in schools, Manila Water Foundation (MWF), in partnership with GMA Kapuso Foundation, helped rehabilitate the sanitation and hygiene facilities at Datu Saber Elementary School in Marawi City.
Mokiin Hadjiisah, Principal of Datu Saber Elementary School, recollected about the facilities’ damages before the rehabilitation. "[Noon], giba, sira, may leakage at tumutulo ang ulan. Wala ring kuryente, walang tubig (Before, the structure had damages and leakages. There was no electricity and water, too)," she said.
Out of water supply, the school used to fetch rainwater for handwashing and toilet maintenance. This prompted MWF to assist the school on the technical design of its water system in preparation for their connection to a piped-in water supply in 2019.
In November 2020, MWF officially turned over the school’s newly rehabilitated four-faucet hygiene facility and three-cubicle toilet facility.
Datu Saber Elementary School can now use their handwashing facility with the piped-in water supply, proper lighting, fixed roofing, repaired drain pit, and new IEC signages for proper handwashing and COVID-19 precautionary measures installed by Manila Water Foundation.
Under its Lingap Eskwela program, MWF improved the school’s hygiene facility by restoring its four faucets and drain pit. Now, the facility has piped-in water supply, proper lighting, fixed roofing, repaired drain pit, and new IEC signages for proper handwashing and COVID-19 precautionary measures. The tight spaces between faucets were also adjusted, so that the children can comfortably use it when grouped together.
Rehabilitated toilet facility at Datu Saber Elementary School
For the three-cubicle facility, through its Ahon Sanitasyon program, MWF also installed flush toilets, polished the structural works, and provided proper lighting and roofing, so that it can be conveniently used by small children.
“Ngayong natapos ng Manila Water Foundation nagkaroon na po ng kuryente, maayos, kaaya-aya at naging mabilis ang paggamit ng aming mga mag-aaral namin (After being rehabilitated by Manila Water Foundation, the facilities now have proper lighting, are clean and beautiful, and can be easily accessed by our pupils,)" she added.
Lingap Eskwela is MWF’s flagship program which aims to help build WASH facilities in schools. Datu Saber Elementary School is the third school in Marawi supported through the Lingap Eswela program in partnership with GMA Kapuso Foundation.