Manila Water Strengthens Call for Desludging in August to Prevent Post-Flood Health Risks

In the wake of recent typhoons and the intensified habagat that brought widespread flooding across Luzon, Manila Water is intensifying its August desludging campaign to help communities recover and prevent post-flood health hazards.

Serving over 7.8 million customers, Manila Water’s East Zone concession area remains highly vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather. The company is increasing its septic tank cleaning service, which is provided at no additional cost to customers, to help households avoid the risks of wastewater overflow and contamination.

This August, the desludging service will be available in barangays Mayamot and San Jose in Antipolo City; San Pedro and San Guillermo in Morong, Rizal; San Isidro and San Juan in Taytay, Rizal; San Pedro in Angono, Rizal; Layunan, Libis, Libid, and Mambog in Binangonan, Rizal; San Jose and San Isidro in Montalban (Rodriguez), Rizal; Ampid II, Banaba, Gulod Malaya, and Silangan in San Mateo, Rizal; Rosario and Santolan in Pasig City; Palingon in Taguig City; Alicia, Bagong Pag-asa, Damayang Lagi, Dioguino Zobel, Holy Spirit, Libis, Loyola Heights, Nayong Kanluran, New Era, Ramon Magsaysay, San Roque, and San Martin de Porres in Quezon City; Industrial Valley Complex in Marikina City; San Perfecto, Pedro Cruz, Pasadena, Ermitanyo, and Balong Bato in San Juan City; Tejeros in Makati City; and Burol in Mandaluyong.

“After heavy rains and flooding, septic systems are more vulnerable to overflows and contamination. Desludging is a simple but powerful way to protect your family’s health and the environment,” said Jeric Sevilla, Corporate Communication Affairs Group Director of Manila Water.

Unmaintained septic tanks pose serious health threats after flooding. When tanks are full or compromised, floodwaters can carry untreated sewage into homes, streets, and water sources. This increases the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera, hepatitis A, and leptospirosis, as well as skin infections and gastrointestinal illnesses. Regular desludging helps prevent these hazards by ensuring septic systems function properly even during heavy rains.

Residents are encouraged to coordinate with their barangay councils or call the Manila Water Hotline 1627 to check their schedule.

Typhoon Safety Tips from SM

When the skies darken and storm alerts dominate the news, the best thing you can do is be prepared. Typhoons in the Philippines are growing stronger and less predictable, but with the right tools and information, you can weather any storm safely. Here are five life-saving tips to help protect your home and family.

Stay Informed. Knowledge is your first line of defense. Tune in to trusted weather bulletins and updates from credible sources. A rechargeable vintage radio from Surplus ensures you stay connected even during power outages—no WiFi or signal needed.

Be Ready. Don’t wait until it’s too late to gather your emergency essentials. Ready-to-use first aid kits from Watsons and flashlights, batteries, ropes, and emergency tools from Ace Hardware can make all the difference. And remember to withdraw cash in advance, since ATMs may be inaccessible during or after a storm.

Stock Food Supplies. Secure at least three days’ worth of clean drinking water and ready-to-eat food. Visit SM Supermarket and SM Hypermarket ahead of time to build your emergency pantry while supplies are still plenty.

Secure your Home. Before the storm hits, check for loose roofing, shaky windows, or rusted locks. Reinforce weak spots with tools, sealants, and home repair items from Ace Hardware, all under one roof at your nearest SM mall.

Prepare for Power Outages. Electricity is often the first thing to go during a storm. Stay comfortable and safe by investing in a portable generator. Ask the experts at Ace Hardware for energy-efficient options that can power your essentials without breaking the bank.

All these items and more are available at SM City Grand Central, SM Center Sangandaan, and SM City Valenzuela. Whether it’s a simple flashlight or a full emergency setup, you’ll find everything you need to stay storm-ready.

Stay safe. Stay prepared. And let SM help you weather any storm.

ARISE Philippines Kickstarts New Round of Disaster Resilience Network Initiatives

Representatives from both public and private sectors, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and the SM Group, convened recently for the annual ARISE General Meeting held at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City.

ARISE Philippines is a network of private companies that are united under the common objective of establishing innovative disaster resilience practices within organizations. This initiative supports the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), and the Sendai Framework. Sendai Framework is a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognizes the role of UN member countries to reduce disaster risk, and which should be shared with other stakeholders including local governments and the private sector.

Through their membership with ARISE Philippines, companies from the private sector are enabled to build their own capacity and develop strategies in making their organizations resilient to disaster risk, by learning from subject matter experts and engaging in workshops that discuss best practices. In recent studies, the Philippines have been globally ranked as the third most vulnerable country, in terms of disaster and calamity.

The government sector was represented by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC).

Director Susan Juangco delivered message from Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, Executive Director of NDRRMC, “As private organizations begin to understand their roles in disaster risk reduction management, and actively collaborating with the public, the government’s vision for a disaster resilient nation is coming to its reality. We are here not to boost the self-interests of our organizations, but to attain our goal for our stakeholders and assure quality of life beyond disaster.”

Asst. Director of the Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development of DTI, Alicia M. Opeña, added, “The MSME sector has a vital role in the welfare of our society as it serves as a proximity market or immediate provider of most goods and services, and we believe that integrating disaster risk reduction initiative in the MSME structures will ensure that businesses can continue to operate their core services even in the occurrence of an adverse situation.”

During the roundtable discussions, participants gained shared understanding of key performance indicators in each of the presented work themes, which are organizational initiatives that respond to preventive measures against disaster, and eventually develop a joint action plan to ensure progress in creating disaster resilient societies. Some of the key topics covered were disaster risk management strategies, education and training and urban risk reduction.

At the annual meeting, the vision of Hans T. Sy was reiterated, “As a member of ARISE, I encourage everyone to promote disaster preparedness and risk resiliency. We must continue to help each other in minimizing property damages and most especially in protecting lives because disaster resilience is everybody’s business”.

To know more about ARISE Philippines, you may contact its secretariat through arisephilippines@smprime.com or https://cc.preventionweb.net/arise/asia_pacific/arise_philippines

“The Flood: Brad Bestelink On His Epic Documentary”

In Botswana’s renowned Okavango Delta, the wildlife depends on the existence of water. National Geographic’s The Flood gives viewers a riveting and never before seen look into the experience of this kingdom against its capricious and dramatic environment and producer Brad Bestelink talks about what went into making it.

From award-winning Botswanian filmmaker Brad Bestelink and National Geographic’s Wild Kingdom team, The Flood is a natural history television event that lets audiences in on the lives of the wildlife trying to survive nature’s unpredictability during the phenomenon of a flood. To this lush kingdom, such an event is a both blessing and a curse as the environment is simultaneously a haven as well as a dangerous, life-threatening trap. In the wake of the flood, the lives of thousands and thousands of animals hang in the balance and The Flood perfectly captures the natural drama of this marvel.  

It’s not surprising that filming something of this scale and nature is no small feat. “The main challenge was predicting the timing of many of the great events, as the flood differs from year to year,” producer and creator Brad Bestelink shares. “To overcome that we had to have crews in the field for long periods of time for single sequences, waiting for these events to happen. We wanted to capture some unusual behaviour, specifically hippos underwater, and that is always challenging.”

Bestelink, who is the co-founder and a cinematographer for Natural History Film Unit Botswana, grew up in the African bush. Considered as a “real-life Mowgli”, he aims to expose audiences to the wonder of Botswana and in the process, hopes to make viewers more aware and consciousness of the fragility of our world.

“We try and reach as many people as possible to share the beauty and the value of these wild places,” Bestlink explains. “We hope that people get emotionally invested in the animals and would therefore consider the environment more than they otherwise would have, and that this awareness would encourage them to do their bit to protect this environment. We also hope that it might inspire people to travel to Botswana which is ultimately the most effective way to keep these wild places alive.”

It was only natural for Bestelink to make Botswana his muse and film his art — growing up, his grandfather ran a crocodile hunting camp, which his parents eventually turned into the country’s first photography camp.  This sparked Bestelink’s love for not only film and his country, but for bringing film into his country as well. “The film scene in Botswana is thriving,” the cinematographer and producer shares.  “Due to the diversity of the habitats that Botswana offers, there is always a lot going on. We hope that there can ultimately be more citizen engagement in the local film industry.”

It’s becoming clear that if there were anyone to tell the story of Botswana and it’s beauty to the world, it would be Brad Bestelink. His passion for his craft and his country is giving viewers the true and authentic stories they need to bear witness to.  And so far, works like The Flood have succeeded telling a very real and incredibly enthralling story of our planet. 

“It is always good for people to broaden their minds and their experiences,” Bestelink says. “And watching wildlife documentaries can be educational as well as entertainment. Many people aren’t able to actually travel across continents, so these sorts of documentaries can bring these wild places to them in their homes. We hope the viewers need to understand that these wild places exist.”

Stream The Flood and other National Geographic documentaries on FOX+!

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