“In countries beset by violence, displacement, conflict and instability, children’s most basic means of survival – water – must be a priority,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF’s global chief of water, sanitation and hygiene.

In the Philippines, there are significant regional disparities when it comes to accessing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, with Mindanao having the lowest coverage nationwide. 

Here, only 62 percent of households have access to basic water services and only 22 percent of households have their own hygienic toilets (compared to, respectively, 91 percent and 75 percent at the national level), according to a UNICEF report, 2017.