SM Supermalls and the Unicef have joined hands to raise awareness on the need for clean water, sanitation and hygiene. The pilot project for this campaign is Masbate, where the key program activities are envisioned to benefit a community and six elementary schools with 1,500 schoolchildren. The project was conceived when 2000 was declared as the ‘International Year of Sanitation’ with the aim to help increase access of Filipinos to safe drinking water, and practice good sanitation and hygiene.

Major projects to be undertaken in Masbate are the construction of community water-supply facilities to provide safe drinking water, construction of school toilets, and lavatory for handwashing and deworming, and vitamin A supplementation of schoolchildren.

SM’s commitment to the project is to donate 25 centavos to the Unicef fund for the Masbate project for every bottle of SM bottled water sold. In effect, it is not only SM that is helping out in the project, but SM customers who buy bottled water also participate in this social cause.

Every 25 centavo contributed to Unicef provides access to safe drinking water for two children in Masbate for one day.