Eight months after severe tropical storm Super Typhoon Odette (International Name: Rai) devastated large parts of the Visayas-Mindanao, access to clean drinking water and basic hygiene and sanitation services are still intermittent in affected areas in Siargao.
On August 25, Cebu Pacific traveled to Caub Island in Del Carmen, Siargao together with Waves for Water Philippines, Mayor Alfredo M. Coro II, and local government representatives to provide clean water access through the implementation of filtration systems and a rainwater catchment tank to increase drinking water capacity.
Cebu Pacific sustained its assistance after working in December with global humanitarian aid organization Waves for Water in transporting over 2 tons (1,447 units) worth of water filtration systems free of charge, across seven affected provinces, namely Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Palawan, Southern Leyte, and Surigao del Norte.
The 502-household community in Caub primarily relies on rainwater – a source that can easily be contaminated due to storage and surrounding land uses.
Waves for Water representatives taught community leaders how to properly use the water filters and also conducted a WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) education session.
“As rehabilitation efforts continue, Cebu Pacific remains committed to pursue its Bayanihan initiatives whenever needed across our wide domestic network. We stand by our commitment to continuously provide better service, not just to our passengers, but to the communities that we fly to,” said Carmina Romero, Cebu Pacific’s Director for Corporate Communications.
Waves for Water filtration system is effective in making rainwater and other cloudy liquid fit for human consumption. At 0.1 micron absolute, the filters make it possible to drink from a water source without the risk of any life-threatening contaminants passing through — preventing the spread of waterborne diseases and severe dehydration.
“Waves For Water’s collaboration with Cebu Pacific has paved the way for us to reach more underserved communities throughout the Philippines,” said Jenica Dizon, Waves For Water Philippines’ Country Director. “The joint effort is a testament to the organization’s ethos of serving as a platform for strategic partnerships that will make clean water access a reality for all Filipinos across the archipelago,” she added.
Cebu Pacific currently flies to Siargao from Manila 11x weekly, and from Cebu twice daily. The airline continues to offer its guaranteed low fares to stimulate travel across its network while it implements a multi-layered approach to safety to encourage everyjuan to fly once more.