MEMO from the BOSS*
Posted Friday, 23 July 2010

 

URGENT

 

Date:              July 22, 2010

TO:                 PRESIDENT BENIGNO SIMEON AQUINO III

FROM:           YOUR BOSS*

Re:                  MOVING TOWARDS A CLEAN AND HEALTHY REPUBLIC

 

We want a country free of un-managed human shit!

 

-          One in every 5 Filipino households does not have a sanitary toilet; many are very poor households who either share facilities, use unsanitary ones or defecate in the open.

-          Many school children suffer from poorly maintained and inadequate number of sanitary toilets.

-          Many government offices have very filthy toilets for the public.

-          There are still about 10 million Filipinos who defecate in the open.

-          93 Filipinos fall sick every hour and 24 die each day from diarrhoea.

-          Many of those who have toilets have faulty septic tanks with unsealed flooring that discharge untreated wastewater, severely polluting our water resources.

-          The World Bank estimated in 2008, that poor sanitation costs the country at least P78 billion in economic losses in avoidable health, fisheries and tourism costs.

 

In line with the Philippine Sustainable Sanitation Roadmap and the National Sustainable Sanitation Plan prepared by the DOH, we want the Aquino Administration to include sanitation as a priority, in particular to:

 

a.     Declare a Presidential Flagship Pro-poor Sanitation Program for all barangays INCLUDING a Zero Open Defecation campaign led by the DOH.

b.    Direct all national and local government agencies to develop and implement sustainable sanitation plans and programs.

c.     Direct all national and local government offices to ensure that sanitary toilets and sinks with soap are available in their premises for the use of the general public.

 

Given the urgent need to improve sanitation in the country, we expect that sanitation will be mentioned in your forthcoming State of the Nation Address. We support your leadership and expect your directives on sanitation to be immediately implemented by your departments and the local government units.

 

*"BOSS" represents all the Filipinos who are concerned, affected, and worried of the effects of poor sanitation in our country.

 

Signed: 

 

 

 

Rory L. Villaluna

PEN President, STREAMS of KNOWLEDGE

Danilo G. Lapid

Center for Advanced Philippine Studies (CAPS)

Engr. Jay Tecson

Philippine Sanitation Alliance (PSA)

Dr. Eduardo Janeiro

Department of Health (DoH)

Albert Ual

Local Government Academy (LGA)

Engr. Jonas Maronilla

BNS-BORDA

Engr. Ma. Sonabel Anarna

DoH

Lilia Casanova

CAPS

Karl Galing

World Bank, Water and Sanitation Programme

Engr. Marieto Perez

Watsan Specialist

Doreen E. Erfe

Philippine Water Revolving Fund - Support Program

Leo De Castro

CAPS

Elisea G. Gozun

Earth Day Network, Philippines

Dr. Gina Itchon

Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan (XU)

Jema Sy

WB-WSP

Lina Onesa

Tulay sa Pag-Unlad, Inc. (TSPI)

Violeta S. Seva

Makati City

Philip "Bong" Lattonero

Q.C. Urban Poor Council of Leaders Cooperative

Dominic P. Flores

Barangay Pansol, Quezon City

Jesus B. Maglente

Q.C. Urban Poor Council of Leaders Cooperative

Russiel M. Lozada

Pasig Environmental Multi-purpose Cooperative

Arceli C. Concepcion

Q.C. Urban Poor Council of Leaders Cooperative

Paul A. Ticyado, Jr.

Linis-Ganda Quezon City Environmental Cooperative

Alexander P. Arreola

Federation of Metro Manila Environmental Cooperative

Mechelle S. Cao

Metro Manila Linis-Ganda, Inc.

Iluminada P. Teves

Quezon City Environmental Cooperative

Irene L. Castro

GMA Junkshop Association Member, Sagip Basura Junkshop

Rose Nambatac

APESHAI, Primarosa Subdivision, Buhay na Tubig, Imus, Cavite

Luis S. Sabater

PDG, Quezon City LGU

Veronica B. Valerio

Quezon City Environmental Cooperative

Atty. Dwight R. Ramor

Executive Director, SWACAP

Rizalyn D. Medrano

City ENRO, San Fernando, La Union

Alex C. Vaguismia

Metro Clark Water Management Corp.

Jong Risare

Payatas, Quezon City

Ma. Delia M. Valdez

National Solid Waste Management Commission, Secretariat

Roberto Olivia

Solid Waste Management Association of the Philippines (SWAPP)

Wilson Gabay

Payatas, Quezon City

Juliu S. Masued

Payatas, Quezon City

Jhunior R. Macasleb

Payatas, Quezon City

Norvin M. Palacio

Payatas, Quezon City

Rudolf Barcelona

Payatas, Quezon City

Roberto Olivia

Cadlo Vincent Chua

Payatas, Quezon City

Priscilla I. Daquioag

SWAPP

Adelia R. Licos

Clean Cities, Makati Coalition

Emelita C. Aguinaldo

NSWMC, Secretariat

Vilma Orogo

Tanza I, Antipolo City, Rizal

Elsie Encarnacion

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)

Edgardo Salvador

Tanza I, Antipolo City, Rizal

Rommel I. Daquioag

SWAPP

Michelle D. Villanueva

CENRO, Antipolo City, Rizal

Fe T. Romano

SWAPP

Annie V. Farrales

 

Adelfa C. Algodon

Malabon

Carlos N. Diaz

Malabon

Glenda T. dela Cruz

PCUP

Len Roque-Alanzalon

PCUP

Emma L. Santiago

PCUP

Jeffrey Smith

Well of Life Community Development, Inc.

Mary Jane Ortega

CityNet

Olivia la O' Castillo,

United Nations Secretary General Advisory Board (UNSGAB) /SDSAP

Dick Borbe

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

Robert Serrano

CAPS

Dr. Nathaniel von Einsiedel

CONCEP, Inc.

Edgar Viterbo

PLAN International, Philippines

Evelyn Mendoza

Coffey International Development, Pty. Ltd.

Engr. Marlon Oiga

BNS-BORDA

Engr. Melisa Therese N. Malingan-Sapdoy

Development Alternatives, Inc.

Lisa Kircher Lumbao

PSA

Yolanda Gomez, STREAMS

 

 

 

For more information for pro-poor sanitation and zero open-defecation,please visit official Philippine Ecosan Network (PEN) website at www.ecosan.ph,and/or call 02-7882429; 02-4339042