A collaboration promoting water access, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools, LCFWinS: Lingap Eskwela sa Pandemya program was named the Outstanding CSR Collaboration Project in the recently concluded 2022 League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) CSR Guild Awards.
This synergy project built 31 ten-faucet pedal-operated hygiene facilities, and served 48 public schools across the country reaching 148,000 students, teachers and parents. Under the LCFWinS, 4,200 hygiene kits, 5,900 IEC materials, 1,200 WASH storybooks, and 2 virtual hygiene education sessions were also provided to the partner schools.
Implemented by LCF-member Manila Water Foundation, the LCFWinS is designed to conduct WASH interventions that address the current COVID-19 challenges in schools. LCF members that funded the construction of hygiene facilities and production of IECs included Aboitiz Foundation, Citizen of the World Foundation, Holcim Philippines, Insular Foundation, Metrobank Foundation, and Vivant Foundation.
LCF Chair Sebastian Quiniones shared that there is a need to strengthen WASH in Schools—in infrastructure, supplies, and IECs—to support learning continuity amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Recognizing the need for private sector support to help address this, the LCF Board of Trustees, issued a call to its members to provide support and to collaborate with the Department of Education on the LCFWinS program. This project is a collaboration of corporations and corporate foundations in support of the WASH in Schools program of the DepEd and its Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan in this time of the pandemic,” Quiniones added.
Quiniones further explained that the LCFWinS intervention covers the implementation of hand hygiene facilities in public schools to facilitate the safe return of students to campus when the face-to-face classes eventually resume. The program also includes the provision of hygiene kits, info-educational materials, and virtual education sessions to support the learning continuity amidst the various learning modalities.
“As an organization with the core advocacy of WASH or water access, sanitation and hygiene, Manila Water Foundation is grateful to be the implementing partner of the League of Corporate Foundations on the LCFWinS Program. This is indeed a demonstration of our collective effort and impact – working together to create the enabling environment and the right conditions for good hand hygiene in schools, for our learners and teachers,” MWF Executive Director Reginald Andal explained.
Dr. Maria Corazon Dumlao, Chief Health Officer of the Bureau of Learner Support Services – School Health Division of the Department of Education that oversees the Oplan sa Kalusugan (OK) sa DepEd program, emphasized the importance of partnerships in safeguarding the department’s health and nutrition initiatives. Dr. Dumlao shared that the Department of Education remains true to its commitment to always keep their schools a safe place for both learners and personnel.
“One of the ways we have done this is to ensure that WASH facilities are in place, are functional to support good hygiene and sanitation practices especially during this pandemic.” She further added, “Through OK sa DepEd, we emphasize the importance of establishing and intensifying partnerships to ensure that school health and nutrition programs including the WinS program reach every school even from the far-flung areas,” Dumlao explained. #(MWC Corporate Communications)
