Sanitation boosts income, self-sufficiency – Villar

MANILA, Philippines — Keeping one’s surroundings clean can boost the earning opportunities of individuals and communities, Sen. Cynthia Villar said on Friday.

Villar, along with other government officials and environment advocates, led the distribution of toilet bowls to households in Barangay Gasangan, Baseco in Tondo.

She reiterated the value of personal hygiene and sanitation to improve self-sufficiency and income.

“One’s capacity to earn is enhanced when care and attention are given to his personal hygiene. Employees who come to work fresh and clean are usually healthier and perform their jobs more efficiently as compared to those who go to work looking and smelling grumpy,” Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on environment and natural resources, said.

She said personal hygiene starts at home, and making sure that homes and communities have proper sanitation facilities is the joint responsibility of families, communities and the government.

“The government should ensure the health of its people. The most basic way to guarantee this is through the provision of sanitation facilities such as septic tanks, especially in overcrowded communities,” Villar said.

She also funded the construction of two septic tanks in the community.

Villar spearheaded the government initiative to construct communal septic tanks and toilet bowls in Baseco to address the problem of poor sanitation in the area, made worse by the practice of open defecation due to the lack of toilet facilities.

The project was carried out in partnership with the Departments of Health, Social Welfare and Development, Environment and Natural Resources and Public Works and Highways.

Other partner agencies include the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Maynilad, Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran ng Baseco and the barangay officials of Gasangan.

The budget for the initiative was provided by the DOH while the manpower came from the DSWD, which tapped beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Baseco for the construction of the toilets and communal septic tanks.

Villar also joined the inauguration of a 400-meter road in the barangay, which was funded and implemented by the DPWH.

The officials held a cleanup of a nearby mangrove area to ensure the continuous flow of water in the vicinity to prevent water-borne diseases.

Villar has been planting mangrove trees and conducting cleanup activities in Baseco to turn the compound into a model site for urban agriculture and aquaculture to help augment the income of residents.