Agapay Tubig

Collaborations in times of disaster

In times of disaster, collaborations are best. In 2019, devastating earthquakes shook the country and tested the bayanihan culture of the Filipino people.

On April 22, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Luzon devastated homes, livelihood and displaced thousands of families from their communities. The worst-hit were the towns of Porac and Floridablanca in the Province of Pampanga. To bring aid to quake victims, Manila Water Foundation (MWF), in collaboration with Ayala Foundation, Apl.de.Ap Foundation, and Project Malasakit by Kara David, brought five-gallon water bottles to the 12 hardest-hit villages in Porac who were severely affected and were in much need of clean and potable water for drinking, cooking, and other hygiene-related activities.

Around 700 Aeta families from severely affected barangays immediately lined-up as soon as they saw the truck unload the 5-gallon water bottles. Residents even shouted, “At last, we can drink water!”

In Floridablanca, MWF reached out to families who were also badly hit by the quake. Collaborating with Ayala Foundation, Apl.de.Ap Foundation and the Pampanga Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), Manila Water Foundation gave water to six hundred (600) families from Barangay Nabuclod who have lost their homes and who have no nearby water source.

In the southern part of the Philippines, consecutive quakes occurred in October 2019 that triggered landslides in North Cotabato and Davao del Sur. Severely affected residents lost their homes, and many sustained injuries and lost their sources of livelihood. Drinking water was a scarce resource among the families in evacuation centers. Groups of villagers from Makilala, North Cotabato held up signs along the road in a plea for rice and water.

Responding to the call of the villagers, the Foundation reached out to evacuation sites in the Makilala town, specifically Makilala Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Camp Bulatukan, and New Cebu Elementary School on November 4. MWF, in collaboration with the Philippine Army, brought five-gallon bottles of potable water to around 1,000 families at the evacuation centers. Volunteers from Tagum Water and Estate Water, subsidiaries of Manila Water Philippine Ventures (MWPV), extended a helping hand during the relief operations. On November 7, the Foundation also deployed five-gallon bottles of potable water to more families in North Cotabato and Davao del Sur. Through the assistance of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), 1,000 bottles were deployed for affected families in Kidapawan City and Tulunan, North Cotabato while an additional 300 bottles were transported by the Philippine Coast Guard for Magsaysay, Davao del Sur.

Helping communities who sustain the business

Manila Water serves the East Zone in Metro Manila. Taking care of its customers is also one of its business goals as it reaches out to them in times of need. Manila Water Foundation’s Agapay Tubig program reached out to San Buena Compound in Cainta Rizal when a fire razed homes affecting 600 families on February 3. Left homeless or with houses severely damaged, the residents from Barangay Santo Domingo evacuated to covered courts in nearby subdivisions for refuge. To help ease their situation, the Foundation deployed 600 units of five-gallon bottled water to the affected residents which can sustain all the affected families with potable water for a few days to a week.

MWF worked with Manila Water’s Pasig Business Area, the Municipal Government of Cainta Rizal : Office of Mayor Kit Nieto and General Services Department in extending assistance to the affected families.

In Mandaluyong, one of Manila Water’s service area also suffered from a residential fire on November 29 that left 5,148 individuals homeless at Blocks 39 & 40 in Barangay Addition Hills.  Manila Water Foundation (MWF) donated 1,300 units of five-gallon bottled water to the affected families. The Foundation worked with Manila Water Makati - Mandaluyong Business Area, JCI Mandaluyong, JCI Quezon City Capitol, Healthy Family Purified Water and Barangay Addition Hills in extending assistance to the beneficiaries.