The Philippines is known for its water resource – seas
that are abundant with fish and other marine ecosystems, rivers and lakes that
host freshwater flora and fauna, and springs that are considered to be one of
the cleanest. However, there are communities that still do not have access to
water.
For generations, upland communities have lived lives that
required them to wake up early to draw water from distant sources; a life where
children would spend more time drawing water for household use than playing
outdoors; a life where mothers juggle between providing water for their
families and finding the time to care and nurture.
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Residents of a village near Mt. Kanlaon easily get water
for their daily use from a common tap stand.
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A section of the Coca-Cola Agos ram pump sits at the edge
of a rice field in the foothills of Mt. Kanlaon, the highest peak and an active
volcano in Negros Island.
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The red tap stand is like an oasis in a desert – a source
of refreshment for most villagers that are benefitting from the Agos ram pump.
Most villages installed with an Agos ram pump are dotted with the red tap stand
where they can draw clean water without having to travel directly to the
source.
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After the Coca-Cola Agos Program ram pump was installed
in Lake Lahit, residents started getting water from tap stands near their
homes. Gone are the days when they have to trek for hours to get water for
their daily needs.
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| The interiors of the Agos ram pump show that it is made of materials that are easily accessible at a local hardware store. The pump was designed in such a way that once turned over to the villagers, they can easily maintain and repair it on their own |
In line with its global thrust of returning the same
amount of water used in the production of its beverages to nature and
communities, Coca-Cola Philippines installed 13 hydraulic ram pumps this
September and October through the Coca-Cola Agos Program. In 2015 alone, 1,984
million liters of water have been returned to nature and communities through
the project’s water ram pump installations.
“We believe that water is an integral resource in
ensuring the sustainability of communities. Through the ram pump’s simple and
sustainable mechanism, we are able to bring water to people who need it most.
More than the water, it is giving these communities a fresh start, an
opportunity to create a more sustainable future,” said Diego Granizo, president
and general manager of Coca-Cola Philippines.
In the last two months, the villages of Ebag in Barugo,
Templanza and Luwan in Matalom, all in Leyte, together with the villages of
Libtong, Villa Caneja, Cabunga-an, Caray-Caray, and sitios Puro, Mocal Bocal,
and Baras, and the village proper of Barangay Catmon in Naval, Biliran will be
receiving the Coca-Cola Agos ram pumps. Completing the list of recipients are
Sitio Sadsadan in Barangay Balbalan, Sitio Bullalayao in Barangay Pantikian,
both in Kalinga Province, and two areas in Barangay Camias, including Sitio
Pasbul, and Barangay Inararo in Porac, Pampanga.
In partnership with the Alternative Indigenous
Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI), Coca-Cola Philippines has been bringing
the ram pump technology to various upland communities who do not have access to
water. The ram pump technology allows the elevation of water from a remote
source to upland areas without the need for complex machinery and electricity.
The ram pump used in the Coca-Cola Agos Project relies on gravity-assisted
hydraulic force to propel water into reservoirs which brings water to conduits
near clustered households.
Since its introduction in 2011, there are already 30,817
households that have benefitted from 129 water pump installations made by the
Coca-Cola Agos Project, 118 of which are ram pumps while the 11 are gravity
installations. #
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