EVERY time one buys SM bottled water in any SM Supermall and selected stores nationwide, the consumer will be able to ‘drink for two’ and help provide dean water to the children of Capiz.

During a simple ceremony held at the SM Mall of Asia, SM Supermalls pledged to donate at least P2 million to Unicef’s WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Program, which aims to bring safe drinking water to over 1,000 chidren in the province of Capiz.

This will be done through SM’s commitment to donate to Unicef 25 centavos for every bottle of SM distilled water sold. SM said 25 centavos is enough to provide two children access to safe drinking water for one day in Capiz.

Unicef deputy representative Colin Davis, communication section chief Angela Travis, and private fund raising and partnership chief Michelle Parazo Borromeo attended the event together with SM executives,led by SCMC president Annie Garcia.

Statistics show that in Capiz, 8 percent of children do not get to reach their fifth birthday and 37 percent suffer from malnutrition. A major
reason is that almost 40 percent of households do not have access to dean water or basic sanitation facilities.

The goal of the program is to help improve health and nutrition of children and mothers through integrated WASH interventions such as providing improved sources of drinking water, constructing basic sanitation facilities, and promoting basic hygiene practices such as hand washing with soap.

This is the second year that SM Supermalls and Unicef have collaborated in the Drink for 2 project. It assisted poor communities in Masbate last year and was able to provide 100 households and six elementary schools with access to improved drinking water, basic sanitation facilities and basic hygiene education.

The funds raised by last year’s Drink for 2 program exceeded the P2-million target by more than 25 percent and has provided the local government in Masbate with some resources, funding, and assistance for the construction of water tanks, pipeline, filtration system and generator for the community.

Drink for 2 has provided water, sanitation and basic hygiene education to 100 households and six schools benefitting 1, 500 children in Masbate.

UNICEf’s Water,Sanitation,and Hygiene (WASH) Program focuses on water and sanitation service delivery In schools, communities and barangays.