When was the last time you washed your hands?
The Hand Hygiene Alliance Philippines (HAP!), a private sector-led group, presented an early gift to Filipinos by pledging its commitment to support universal access to hand hygiene programs in schools, community, and workplace settings during its launch entitled “Clean Hands for Christmas,” last Dec. 16 at Alliance Francaise de Manille in Makati. The launch is a timely reminder to all as the holidays are marked with eating together, traveling, parties, and reunions amid an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The alliance was organized as a response to the global “Hand Hygiene for All” initiative, a call for collective action to enable a culture of hand hygiene and provide access to facilities, products, and info-educational materials, especially in disadvantaged areas and vulnerable communities. HAP! members include corporate foundations, business-oriented associations, social enterprises, and philanthropic organizations with programs on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) with its founding members Ecolab, E&V Water and Life Philippines, Manila Water Foundation, Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), and the Rotary Club of Marikina North. Hand Hygiene Alliance Philippines invited businesses from various industries such as food, hospitality, healthcare, and business process outsourcing sectors to encourage them to step into the alliance.
Proper handwashing has been proven to reduce diarrhea and respiratory infections, which can be life-threatening, especially for children under five years of age. In the Philippines, diarrhea and pneumonia rank high among the leading causes of death for children one to four years old. Handwashing with soap is also linked to reduced rates of school absenteeism and contributes to improved well-being, dignity, educational fulfillment, and productivity.
Given the benefits of handwashing, the alliance aims to work together with the national government especially in the health and education sector to support ongoing hand hygiene programs. The alliance is also developing a Hand Hygiene Roadmap until 2030 to strategically contribute to the country’s hand hygiene initiatives. The founding members will be inviting more businesses to raise their hands and join the Hand Hygiene Alliance Philippines or HAP!
Rotary Club of Marikina North president Roland Cardinoza and president-elect John Robert Mendoza graced the event to pledge their commitment to the vision and mission of the alliance.
“As a member of the alliance, Rotary will be able to position itself as a champion and advocate for hand hygiene beyond the club-level service with high-impact hand hygiene programs in the communities we serve to influence other clubs and districts to be part of the movement,” Cardinoza said,
On the same event, the Rotary Club of Marikina North, in partnership with Manila Water Foundation, donated two portable hand washing units called Happy Tap to Water and Life communities in Cavite and one unit to the Early Childhood Day Care Center (ECDCC) in Baras, Rizal. Cardinoza and Mendoza are planning to scale the support for hand hygiene to target daycare centers in selected poor and vulnerable barangays in Rizal with no access to handwashing stations in the months and years to come.