The SM Supermalls and United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) recently launched its WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) program, which highlights water-and-sanitation delivery in schools and households in even the remotest places in the country.

Central to this is the SM-Unicef launched Drink for 2: A Toast to Clean Drinking Water for the Children of Masbate program, which was recently launched at the IMAX Theater Lobby at the SM Mall of Asia.

For every bottle of the SM distilled water sold, 25 centavos will go to Unicef’s water and sanitation program, enough to provide two children access to safe drinking water for one day in Masbate.

“Buying bottled water is a simple act of giving two other children the chance to have safe drinking water for one day,�? said SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy.

“Just imagine, if all of us can give the chance not just for two children and not just for one day, but for over 2,000 Masbate children for the rest of their lives.�?

The fund will be used in the construction of WASH facilities and provide technical and capacity-building assistance for the recipient barangay.

Initially, this project will benefit 100 households with 500 population and six primary schools with 1,500 children in Masbate one year.

Its benefiting barangay Umabay Interior in the municipality of Mobo in Masbate, which is one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines.

Scarcity of water and improved toilets are the main problems there.

With the project, Umabay Elementary School is just one of the 11 schools in the municipality of Mobo with WASH facilities.

To date, WASH has made operational 59 sanitary facilities and 14 water supply systems in 13 selected schools in Masbate, benefiting a total of 20,700 schoolchildren and their families.

“Without safe drinking water and sanitary toilets, children are most vulnerable to diseases and even death,�? said Colin Davis, Unicef deputy representative.

Fourteen-year-old Sharon Flores, from the village of Umabay Interior in Mobo town in Masbate, narrated the positive changes for her and her schoolmates when toilets and clean water supply facilities were put up in her school for the first time in 2001 by WASH program.

“Before the toilets and water facilities were put up in our school, children often got sick,�? she said. “My classmates and I used to relieve ourselves at the back of the classrooms, making the surroundings smell really bad, affecting the health of everyone.�?

“Our situation eventually improved when toilets were put up in every classroom,�? she said.

“Children now take baths every day. Classroom attendance and performance have improved because children don’t get sick anymore.�?

Buy SM bottled water and support its joint Drink for 2: A Toast to Clean Drinking Water with Unicef.

It is available in 500-ml bottles at all SM Supermalls and selected stores nationwide.