THIS year, a hinterland barangay in Cagayan de Oro bags the top place in the Zero Open Defecation competition launched by the City Health Office (CHO), which means that all households of the village have their own toilets.
Barangay Mambuaya was topped the list, and bagged a P50,000 prize, followed by barangay 7 who won P25,000 and barangay 1 with P15,000.
City Health Officer Dr. Rachel Dilla said the competition started last year as the CHO intensified its campaign to eliminate the unhealthy practice, to defecate in the bushes or just about everywhere.
Basic toilet facilities should be at every Filipino household, Dilla said, and the Department of Health is seeking to achieve this on or even before year 2020.
According to the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), approximately eight percent of Filipinos, mostly in rural areas, still do not have sanitary toilets, as of 2015.
"Can you imagine, all of barangay Mambuaya's households already have toilets. And for us it doesn't matter if the toilet's structure is just made of wood, just as long as it's sanitary and ensure that it does not affect your health," she said.
A survey was conducted to identify barangays which still practice open defecation. Sanitary inspectors perform “defecation mapping” where houses without toilets are identified using a map of the village. They also take a tour of areas, along with the residents, where open defecation is rampant and identify those responsible for the feces found in the open.
The DOH's zero open defecation program is aimed at stopping open defecation practices; ensuring that everyone uses a sanitary toilet, wash hands properly, handles food and water in a hygienic manner; and disposes animal and domestic waste safely to create a clean and safe environment.
Mambuaya village chairman Fernando Daug for his part said, they have achieved zero open defecation by providing residents a free toilet bowl. He said he has allocated a budget for this program.
"We will spend the P50,000 to maintain our program and our zero open defecation status," Daug said.