Thursday, April 03, 2008 Nestle, DENR launch 'Every Drop Counts' awareness
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Nestlé Philippines Inc. have launched a water awareness and conservation campaign called Every Drop Counts, to promote awareness that potable water is becoming increasingly scarce globally and locally, and to advocate specific practices to prevent its waste.
The launch, a highlight of World Water Day and Philippine Water Week, was held during flag raising ceremonies at the DENR national office in Quezon City.
DENR Secretary Jose L. Atienza Jr. was represented by undersecretaries Teresita Castillo, Manuel Gerochi and Demetrio Ignacio, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) director Julian Amador, and River Basin Control Office executive director Vicente Tuddao Jr. The Ph.D. Nestlé Philippines was represented by chairman and chief executive officer Nandu Nandkishore, corporate affairs head Bin Antonio, senior vice president Edith de Leon, Corporate Wellness head Cora Sager and Safety, Health and Environment vice president Jess Reyes.
In Cagayan de Oro, the campaign was launched locally by visiting EMB assistant director Jonas Leones, concurrently head of the Pollution Adjudication Board, at the Nestlé factory together with factory head Ed Legasto, SH&E market head Jess Reyes, SH&E manager Vic Porpio and site environmental officer Bert Cual.
Every Drop Counts will feature tri-media advertisements by DENR and Nestlé Philippines using the latter's classic public service series Sa Mata Ng Bata as a vehicle, to remind audiences that water is an indispensable but limited resource and that they can personally take specific actions to conserve it. Sa Mata ng Bata is the value-formation public service campaign that Nestle Philippines started in the late 1980s, to call the attention of the public to the vital role of adults in forming the values of children who look up to them as role models.
Media organizations partnering with DENR and Nestlé Philippines to implement the campaign are GMA, QTV and ETC and 2nd Avenue of Solar Cable; Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin, Inquirer Libre and Pilipino Star; and Manila Broadcasting Company, RGMA, Nation Broadcasting and the Vera Group.
Atienza, in remarks read by Castillo, said water has become even more important in the 21st century than in the past and with rapid population growth and urbanization, the demand for water will likewise increase, causing serious environmental consequences. He added that as users of water, all people could play a crucial role in conserving. "Water is indeed everybody's business," he stressed.
Nandkishore cited World Health Organization (WHO) data that the lack or poor quality of drinking water is a leading cause of mortality globally, with 1.2 billion people having no access to a drinking water system, and up to 3 billion lacking decent sanitary facilities. He said Nestlé's commitment to sustainable water use is embedded in its Corporate Business Principles and strategy for sustainability, and the Nestlé Water Policy describes how water sustainability, protection and stewardship are integrated into the Company's activities, including manufacturing. He noted that from 1998 to 2007, Nestlé worldwide was able to reduce its overall water usage by 28% while increasing production volume by 76%. In the Philippines, while production has steadily increased, Nestlé has cut down its water consumption by 16.76% since 1997, an average of 65,500 cubic meters every year.
During the launch, Sager spoke on the key role of water as a zero-calorie nutrient in maintaining health and wellness, particularly the need for adults to drink at least eight glasses or two liters of water each day, with 2/3 of body weight consisting of water. The World Water Day Technology Exhibit, to be held for several days at Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife on Quezon Boulevard near the Elliptical Circle, was also ceremonially unveiled during the launch. Underscoring the linkage between water and health, Choose Wellness, Choose Nestlé nutritionists-dietitians were on hand to provide free nutrition counseling, and sampling of Nescafe Protect, Milo, Nestle Fitnesse and Nestle Pure Life water rounded out the event. (Press release)
