ASSIST has distributed water filters to a total of 1,159 households in local communities in the disaster-prone province of Aurora, Philippines under the SOURCe (Supply Of Unpolluted clean drinking water to Rural Communities) project.
SOURCe Philippines aims to improve water safety through LifeStraw water filters, a product of Swiss company, Vestergaard, to rural communities and reduce waterborne disease, such as diarrhea, typhoid, and cholera. It is funded by DEG, a member of KfW Bankengruppe.
The province of Aurora was targeted for the project because of the regular floods and storms that hit the area, which makes it difficult for communities to have constant access to clean water.
Advocates training
ASSIST also conducts awareness sessions on the importance of water sanitization as part of the project. Some 853 locals have already attended these sessions, and 129 advocates have been trained to promote the importance of water safety and to help with any issues concerning the water filters
The project management team has visited the barangays of Dibut, Dibayabay, Dikapinisan, Dimanayat, Bacong, San Isidro, and Diteki in San Luis. Municipal Mayor Mariano Tangson joined the distribution.
The team will return to the sites next month for the first monitoring and evaluation of the project. Furthermore, water samples will be tested for the effectiveness of the filters on selected sites.
Next stops
Succeeding distribution and awareness sessions will happen in the municipalities of San Luis, Baler, and Dingalan.
“The strong will of the local government helped us greatly”, project manager Janina Astilla pointed out. “It is what made it possible for us to reach to the farthest communities and continue to do so.”
