Nicquee's Nook

Global toilet sanitation problem leads to 443 million missed school days

Believe it or not, it is true. In fact, I experienced that first hand back in my elementary days.

I spent my elementary days in a public school. Back then, there were only 40-50 students per class, around 8-10 sections per level, and just two shifts: morning and afternoon. Our school’s facilities are ok, except for the toilets. If I am not mistaken, the only clean ones are that of the faculty’s and that of the preschool students as that is inside their classroom. I was in 5th or 6th grade when I missed a whole week of lesson as I suffered from Urinary Track Infection (UTI) probably because I keep on skipping my need to pee due to the dirty toilets. And that was yearsssss ago. It makes me think now how the toilets in public schools look like these days when the students have multiplied drastically.

I am sure, I am not the only one who missed school days because of being sick due to poor toilet sanitation.

According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), children around the world miss an estimated 443 million school days each year because of diseases caused by poor sanitation and hygiene practices, including using unsanitary toilets. Simply put, this number of sick days is equivalent to all grade school and high school classrooms in the Philippines being empty for one month. This sanitation-related concern hinders the children’s learning and significantly reduces their quality of life.

Illnesses due to poor toilet sanitation include diarrhoeal disease and parasitic worm infections which can lead to nutritional deficiencies, physical and mental stunting, and death. Every day, millions of children in rural communities and urban households nationwide are exposed to these health problems by using dirty toilets populated by disease-carrying germs.

According to Dr. Luisa Efren of the Philippine Public Health Association (PPHA), the simple act of proper toilet sanitation can help prevent the spread of these germs. However, children continue to be at risk from these deadly diseases because many households still use ordinary laundry bleach to clean their toilet bowls, which is not enough to kill all toilet germs.

“A toilet that looks clean to the naked eye may not necessarily be free from germs and bacteria. So, it is very important to properly sanitize all surfaces using a germ-kill expert with proven efficacy in eliminating bacteria, and not just any ordinary laundry bleach,” Dr. Efren warned.

For the past three years, Unilever Philippines through its germ-kill expert brand Domex, has been working with UNICEF and PPHA to champion the One Million Clean Toilets Movement. This advocacy program aims to educate Filipinos on proper toilet hygiene and the need for sanitized household toilets to keep their families safe against disease-causing germs.

On November 13, World Toilet Day, I will join the One Million Clean Toilets Movement in the fight against disease causing germs to save lives, one clean toilet at a time. To learn more about Domex and how you can stay safe from disease with a germ-free home, visit Domex Philippines on Facebook.

You can also help the 1 Million Clean Toilets Movement fight against disease by spreading awareness on the sanitation issue caused by unsanitary toilets. Watch and share the “Sick Days” video below to help keep your family and friends germ-free.

REFERENCES:
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/wsh0404.pdf
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/en/
https://www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/the-sustainable-living-plan/improving-health-and-well-being/health-and-hygiene/toilets-of-tomorrow/

Helping Others in an Unconventional Way

Not that I am lifting my own chair, but I perceive myself as a helpful person. It is very easy to make transform me into my sympathetic self that sometimes, I get abused by user-friendly people. But I have learned my lessons and I am now much wiser.

But even when I get abused several times already, the joy I get from helping others never fades away. I console myself with the thought that I was able to help even in the littlest way possible, or even in a different manner. That is what happened recently.

charity bingo Cancer-stricken people have a special place in my heart, for several people in my family, both sides, suffered from it. That is why, when I was tapped to play online bingo for my chosen charity, I chose Cancer Research UK. Creating an account and playing at 888 ladies was so much fun and easy that it relaxed my tired brain from a day’s work. Their forgot password feature is so brilliant and helpful! I had to use it because you know, I have a memory gap. LOL.

Aside from playing bingo, I also played roulette, irish luck, and bejewelled. They have different styles of bingo, mini games, jackpot games, and even community games! Each game opens in a new window and there is an area where you can see how much money you have so you do not get surprised with how much you have won or lost already.

Given another chance, I will still play for cancer-stricken people.

Banaue Rice Terraces, Excluded from NTDP

This is a repost from a childhood friend. Their family is from Ifugao. And yes, I agree, how come this NTDP does not include the Banaue Rice Terraces?! Should we wait for this treasure to banish before we act?

“I just want to raise awareness on whats happening to Ifugao na will somehow afffect us, cousins!!!!! The DOTourism is creating a sort of protocol to Malacanang which is starting to implement now, Aquino’s administration term, called NTDP or National Tourism Development Plan. The name says it all. It’s designed to focus on tourist attractions.

They divided the country into systemized and “strategic” (daw) clusters of tourist designations. Then under those clusters, there are DAs or what they call the Developmental Areas na will be subject for “massive” (daw) development in four years.

AND GUESS WHAT! The Banaue Rice Terraces is not “yet” (daw) a part of it!!!!!!!! THINK OF IT! THE BANAUE RICE TERRACES IS A PART OF THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD tapos tinataboy lang nila!!! They would rather develop tourist attractions that are in some way already influenced by the west!!!! When in fact, the rice terraces is the best paradigm and reflection of the filipino culture!!!!

They are concentrating on attractions like Boracay, Puerto Galera and Metro manila! Im not saying that these places are ugly and should not be developed but these places only show a SMALL portion of what the REAL filipino culture is! And these places are infested with foreign investors already aren’t they on the top of the chain na?! They dont need this much of a support from the gov’t na!

Etong mga lugar na to westernized na in some way e! Look at IFUGAO! Yan ang pinoy talaga! Ifugao is not influenced by fashion, showbizz or any in that modern cultural sense. Ifugao is our own GENUINE and preserved culture na pinaghirapan ng ancestors eh dba!!! NAKAKAINIS NA NAKAKAIYAK. Tas congressman naten ano ginagawa?! Doesnt he realize that Banaue Rice Terraces will collapse soon and the whole idea behind it that it is actually a wonder of the world tapos aaksyon lahat when the damage has been done already?! DB COUSINS? DONT YOU FEEL ME?!?!?!?!?!?! THIS COUNTRY SUCKS EVEN MORE EACH DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NAKAKABUISEETTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :'( “

I SERIOUSLY HOPE OUR GOVERNMENT THINK TWICE ABOUT THIS MOVE.