Baseco Compound is one of the largest urban slum communities in the Philippines, holding a total population of over 100,000. The community has long struggled with lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities. This situation is not uncommon in the Philippines and the difficulties facing the communities in Baseco Compound are only growing more relevant, especially because of COVID-19.
SHIP² (Sustainable Health Improvement & Pandemic Prevention) was officially launched last October 29 in Baseco Compound, Tondo Manila and was attended by Grundfos Country Director, Jonathan Breton and ASSIST’s own Managing Director, Sreeni Narayanan and Director of Projects and Srategy, Francis Macatulad. The project, in partnership with Grundfos and Kabalikat, aims to create a sustainable and resilient community within the Baseco Compound by providing potable water and creating livelihood opportunities for the local community. ASSIST has found a prominent partner in Grundfos, collaborating for the third time for SHIP². Other projects in which ASSIST and Grundfos work together include SOLution, also in the Philippines, and the Partnership for Blended Finance Models on Non-revenue Water and Energy Consumption in Vietnam, both of which are ongoing.
Through SHIP², 96,000 litres of potable water will be produced and 4,800 people in Baseco will be provided safe drinking water daily. Furthermore, the Baseco community will be equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to better ensure their own health, safety, means of living.
By March 2021 the first batch of project activities will be underway, focusing on the training of trainers on WASH, the installation of four water filtration systems, and the establishment of drinking water stations that will be operated as social enterprises to sustain other WASH projects. Ultimately, the SHIP² project presents a great opportunity to create a positive impact on two of the largest and longstanding issues facing the Philippines: health and poverty, which have only worsened due to the ongoing pandemic.
Photo from: Grundfos Philippines
