The Department of Interior and Local Government will hold a regional summit on sustainable sanitation tomorrow and Thursday at the Negros Oriental Convention Center, Dumaguete City.

The event, in partnership with the provincial government and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation, aims to take action on the crises in sanitation, and its theme is “Sharing our Contribution in Building a Strong Nation through Sustainable Sanitation.”

It also seeks to raise awareness among decision-makers for the necessity of a well functioning and sustainable sanitation, and encourage them to invest more on sanitation.

A number of sustainable sanitation best practices will be presented by LGUs from regions 6, 7 8 and 10, Western, Central and Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao. Focus will be on processes such as planning, social preparation and financing scheme of sanitation projects.

A market exhibit will also be held for selected funding agencies, donor organizations and non-government organizations that extend support in sustainable sanitation projects.

About 2.6 billion people around the world live without basic sanitation including almost one billion children.  Every 20 seconds, a child dies because of poor sanitation, hygiene and unsafe water, organizers said.

In the Philippines, almost 31 percent of the reported illnesses from 1996-2000 are caused by unsafe water due to poor sanitation. 

Contaminated drinking water is one of the most prevalent causes of illnesses among the population, and about 18 Filipinos die each day from water and sanitation–related diseases, organizers added.*RG

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