Amidst the rising cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease and the recently detected presence of COVID-19 omicron subvariant XXB.1.5 in the PH, Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines, the multinational consumer goods company with a diverse range of superior health care, home care, beauty, and grooming products, through its partnership with the Manila Water Foundation (MWF) handed out Safeguard Handwash products as a pre-Valentine’s day gift to LRT-2 commuters.
According to the Department of Health, handwashing with soap is key to fighting against COVID-19, and regular handwashing with soap can reduce the likelihood of common coronavirus infection by 36%. However, not all Filipinos have access to handwashing facilities, water, and/or soap.
“It’s crucial to remind the public of the importance of WASH, or water, sanitation, and hygiene, to our health. Through this project, not only are we promoting proper handwashing with soap, which is one of the key preventive measures against diseases and infections, but we are also bringing access to proper handwashing stations closer to Filipinos” says Tasha Santos, Sr. Communications Manager of Safeguard Philippines.
Over 2,000 pieces of Safeguard Liquid Handsoaps were given out in LRT-2 stations Antipolo, Araneta Center Cubao, Legarda, and Recto. Five (5) portable handwashing stations called HappyTaps were also set up in each station to encourage frequent and proper handwashing with soap and water with Safeguard’s Insta-foam Handwash. Passengers who washed their hands in the stations were given the chance to win a gift pack of hygiene products through MWF’s electronic raffle.
The project, titled “We Love Safe Hands sa Riles” is part of the series of MWF 18th Anniversary events. Other projects such as outreach programs, donation handovers, and #SafeWASH seminars are also in the pipeline for P&G and MWF in the coming weeks.
“As we celebrate our 18th Anniversary, we remember with heartfelt thanks our dedicated partners like P&G Philippines who have been a force for good in enabling MWF’s mission and we look forward to more collaborations with P&G to bring WASH for all communities,” said Reginald Andal, Executive Director of MWF.
P&G is a consistent partner of MWF in helping build the nation and empowering communities by promoting health and hygiene. The partnership started with the construction of hand hygiene facilities and provision of hygiene supplies under the Lingap Linis Lusog Kabataan project in 2019 and has since expanded to other MWF WASH programs such as #SafeWASH in Communities and Schools, reaching over 1M Filipinos across over 55 cities and municipalities across the country. In 2021, Typhoon Odette victims were also able to receive care packages filled with P&G products thanks to MWF’s assistance. Most recently, P&G, in collaboration with MWF, donated Vicks ZzzQuil Natura sleep gummies to over 4,000 beneficiaries to promote proper rest and sleep.