January 4, 2015
Government of the Philippines endorses Pro WATER programme

Picture: SDG Fund Philippines. From left to righ: Eden Lumilan, UNCO (left most); Deputy Director General Rolando Tungpalan, NEDA (3rd from left); Director Carlos Abad Santos of NEDA Governance Staff (4th from left); Country Director Maurice Dewulf, UNDP (right most); AECID Coordinator General Vicente Selles Zaragozi (2nd from right) and Mercedes Cornejo, of AECID and ODA GAD Network (3rd from right).

The Sustainable Development Goals Fund joint programme on Pro WATER  was approved by the National Steering Committee composed of representatives from the Government of the Philippines, the United Nations and the Government of Spain. The joint programme is a collaborative action among UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, UN WOMEN and the Government of the Philippines with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as the implementing partner.

Pro WATER aims to empower citizens and build resilient communities by improving access to integrated safe water, sanitation and hygiene, increase women and girls’ participation in water governance and decrease incidences of water borne and sanitation related diseases.

The joint programme will be implemented in ten local government units where more than 50% of the poor populations do not have access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene thereby classified as waterless municipalities. These Municipalities are Aroroy, Cawayan and Monreal in the Province of Masbate; Basud and Capalonga in the Province of Camarines Sur; Bobon and Mapanas in the Province of Northern Samar; Siayan in the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay and Sindangan in the Province of Zamboanaga del Norte.