CRISTELIE'S family seems content with their life in the marshland. They start the day at 4 in the morning. She and her husband, Jomer, would talk for a while over coffee before the former would head out to fish. At 6, she starts preparing her children, Jomarie and Kristin for school.
"We live a very simple life," she shares. As soon as the clock hits 7, she starts paddling her canoe, a small boat with no built-in outriggers, to bring her children to school. She tags along 1-year old Daniel, her youngest.
"Our lives revolve around the lake - our homes, our source of income and even our drinking water."
Life in Agusan Marsh
Cristelie's is one of the more than 40 Manobo tribal families in Sitio Panlabuhan, a floating village situated at the heart of Kanimbaylan Lake.
Just a speck of the whole marshland, Agusan Marsh covers 15 percent of the country's freshwater resources. Home to more than 250 bird species, it is a wildlife sanctuary and was declared a protected area. Sitio Panlabuhan also boasts of its houses, including the two churches, primary school and community centre, that are built on piles of bamboos which adjust to the rise and fall of the water. Taking off from Bunawan, Agusandel Sur, it takes about 2 to 3 hours of boat ride to reach the village. While the place is in itself a paradise, the Manobos are confronted with the problem on safe drinking water.
"We rely on rain for drinking water. If there is none, we go to a nearby spring that is also connected to the lake. If we are really left with no choice, especially during floods, we drink from the lake," village chairman Julie Bello shares. It's in the same source that they do their washing, bathing and other activities.
Cristelie started worrying when her children started having stomach problems. As much as she and her husband want to bring them to the hospital, they can't because of how secluded their place is. Besides, going out of the swamp is expensive and no easy feat. Most of the families rely on herbal medicine.
"We knew it was because of the water they drink but we didn't have any choice," she said.
According to World Health Organization, contaminated water may cause water-borne diseases, the most deadly of which are diarrhoeal infections. It causes about 1.5 million child deaths each year, mostly among children below five.
The clean water project
In partnership with Procter and Gamble and in coordination with the local government, World Vision introduced PUR packets in Sitio Panlabuhan last October 2015. A water purification technology, PUR powder is able to remove bacteria that causes waterborne diseases. Each sachet can treat up to 20 liters of water.
"It is also easy to use," shares World Vision staff Franklyn Salindato. The sachet is poured into unclean water and then stirred until the bacteria form into small particles that will settle at the bottom of the pail. The PUR-treated water will then be strained through a white cloth.
"I was uneasy at first but seeing how a peat-coloured water turned crystal clear, it must have been the answer to my prayers. As a mother, it gives me peace of mind knowing that my children are drinking safe water," says Cristelie. Today, she also bathes her children, especially one-year-old Daniel with PUR-treated water. Her children's school was also provided with PUR packets.
"This has helped reduce cases of diarrhea in our village. It also raised awareness amongst us regarding the importance of clean water," Bello said, adding that because most of the people in the village grew up drinking water from the lake, they feel that it's no problem at all.
"There has been a lot of changes. The spring where we used to get water when we were little is no longer as clean as it used to be," he said.
World Vision’s clean drinking water project, now on its second phase, has already benefited more than 9,000 families. (Joy Maluyo, Emergency Communications Specialist)