Projects

According to the Sciencedirect.com - August 2025, the Philippines suffers from severe water pollution, with nearly 6000 premature deaths annually due to waterborne diseases. About 11 million Filipino families have no access to clean water, with 53,066 mortalities reported between 2010 and 2019 because of waterborne diseases of typhoid and paratyphoid fever, bloody diarrhoea, cholera, viral hepatitis, and leptospirosis (Flores, 2023).

 

On 28 February 2025, ROC conducted an initial community water access assessment of Sitios (small villages) Katwiran, Lagundi and Lower Bangkal Tribo to develop a collaborative solution involving both the Local Government Unit (LGU) and residents of the three communities.

 

In the following months, based on the data collected with the assistance of its international partner called Waves For Water (wavesforwater.org), ROC established the scope of its Project Water Gives Life 2025, dividing residents in groups (clusters) of ~25 people, each composed of five households.

 

On 17 and 25 October 2025, ROC, with the Logistics support of the local government of the Municipality of Montalban (City of Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines), and the financial support from friends and long-term partner Derma Roller Philippines, ROC well exceeded its initial project scope of 600 residents.

 

Project Water Gives Life 2025 was ROC’s 1st ever water project (and mine too). I see it as an amazing success, distributing a total of 38 Sawyer filters and 190 5-gallon water storage containers, but more importantly providing readily accessible potable water to 983 impoverished, but deserving residents of Sitios (small villages) Katwiran, Lagundi and Lower Bangkal Tribo.

 

What does it mean for these residents? Each of the 190 households is now able to purify at least ~20 litres of potable water daily at no cost. As each filter is rated to generate 5,000,000 litres in its operational lifespan, these residents will have this purification capability for at least the next 5-7 years (in my estimate even longer than 10 years). No more need to pay for the water, the transportation cost, and time and effort to carry it back home. What a game charger for these 983 people!

 

A special shut-out to ROC’s new partner, Waves For Water Philippines, for its amazing technical support and partnership

 

To make sure this project remains a sustainable capability, ROC will continue to visit the 3 communities on a regular basis, making sure to perform refresher maintenance training, equipment serviceability checks, and residents’ satisfaction surveys.

 

This was not a luxury for these residents, but rather a necessity. Thank you so much to everyone in "Being The Transformation", affording the 983 residents with readily accessible potable water, and preventing waterborne diseases among these impoverished and vulnerable communities.

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Philippe Blanchard

Founder/Executive Director

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