Philippines

In Philippines, population growth has been extremely rapid (+ 30%): from 75 million inhabitants in 1995 to 100 million in 2014. The country has also seen its GDP increase sharply over the same period ( + 6.1% / year on average), but social inequalities continue to widen. In 2016, the country ranked 116 out of 190 on the Human Development Index (HDI) and one-quarter of the population lives below the national poverty line (2012) This rapid growth has resulted in massive urbanization. Source of potentiality, this urban development, often poorly controlled, is at the same time a factor of vulnerabilities and risks leading to the development of precarious neighborhoods and shantytowns. In 2016, more than 40% of the Filipino urban population lived in slums.

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TUBIG PAG-ASA (TPA), "Water of Hope", is the Filipino social enterprise created in 2009 by Eau et Vie, to intervene in areas where the official operator cannot work. In partnership with local authorities and water concessionaires, TPA. builds a secure drinking water network, connected to that of the city's concessionaire, and distributes it in every house and public place in disadvantaged urban areas.
The social enterprise is progressively expanding its field of action by becoming a multi-service actor, including the management of waste collection services and sanitation services. TPA provides all associated services on a weekly basis, including billing, collection of payments and network maintenance, for the duration of the concession. Water is charged much cheaper than informal resellers and the cost of connection is geared to family incomes. Payments are collected at the client's home by employees from the intervention neighborhoods at a pace appropriate to their financial capacity. TPA's technical teams provide network maintenance (monthly water quality testing, etc.). Thus, TPA's activities contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which by 2030 aim to guarantee access to water and sanitation for all.

WATER AND LIFE PHILIPPINES (W&L) is a local NGO, created by Eau et Vie, responsible for designing and developing waste management and sanitation services, organizing training and collective actions, ensuring community reinforcement and finally installing the firefighting device. The NGO supplies fire extinguishers and installs fire hydrants, tested every month. It also constitutes volunteer fire brigades equipped with personal protective equipment and trained by partner firefighters. Communities benefit from prevention sessions and first aid training. Water & Life's activities strengthen the organization of underprivileged neighborhoods. In each area of intervention, community fire, hygiene, sanitation and waste management needs are assessed upstream with the help of volunteers or community representatives. Volunteers actively participate in the organization of activities (information, motivation, logistics ...) and take part in leadership development trainings as well as meetings with volunteers from other communities.

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Project History

Water and Life has been operating in Philippines since 2008. Prospective studies have demonstrated the need for drinking water in the slums of Cavite (a suburb of the capital, Manila) and Mandaue (Cebu Metropolis, the second largest in the country). To date, Water and Life projects have been set up in 5 neighborhoods in Cavite (Salcedo 2, Manggahan, Pugad Ibon, Talaba 2 and Upper Succat), 4 neighborhoods in Mandaue (Malibu, Mantuyong, Tipolo and Paknaan) and 1 relocation area at Tanauan (island of Leyte). Multi-year partnership agreements have been signed with local operators in each of the 3 cities, in order to build networks and enable water distribution. A social enterprise "Tubig Pag Asa" (Water of Hope) acts as a water operator and works in close collaboration with the local NGO "Water and Life", which provides complementary services.

Ongoing Projects

Cavite (Luzon) : Salcedo II, Manggahan, Pugad Ibon, Talaba II, Upper Sucat.

Mandaue (Cebu) : Tipolo, Malibu, Mantuyong, Paknaan and in as of 2018 Tangke, Inayawan, San Roque and Jensen.

Cebu (city) : Tangke.

Tanauan (Leyte) : Sacme Prime Town and Pago in 2018.

Following Project

At the end of 2014, Eau et Vie signed a partnership locally with the Vitens Evides International Foundation, MCWD, the Dutch Red Cross and the city of Cebu, aiming to provide running water to 5,000 families living in Cebu neighborhoods by 2020. In September 2016, a new area, Upper Sucat, was connected to Cavite. At the beginning of 2017, the social enterprise started a third project in the relocation areas of Tanauan, on the island of Leyte, initially at Sacme Prime Town and very soon in other surrounding areas.

Thus, in 2017, TPA is continuing the installation of water networks in many disadvantaged neighborhoods of Cavite, Mandaue and Tanauan by connecting families as well as schools and health centers.

The NGO Water and Life continues to provide fire prevention training and hygiene and environmental awareness, while developing firefighting systems (new facilities, brigade training, system implementation). alarm, evacuation plans ...), sanitation, and waste management (establishment of waste collection services ...) in the neighborhoods where TPA intervenes. W & L conducts regular surveys in other precarious neighborhoods to develop new partnerships to open new projects and respond to community needs. The NGO will soon develop a pilot project for collecting waste at home.

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