WHAT began as a simple plan to build classrooms at Lumbia Central School unexpectedly evolved into a life-saving mission that now provides clean, safe drinking water to over 3,200 students every single day.
In 2024, the BIRTH Club, a civic organization affiliated with the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines, launched an initiative to construct classroom buildings in underserved communities.
But while the building project moved forward, a more pressing concern surfaced. The school lacked a safe and sustainable water source for its thousands of students. Many relied on bottled refills at one peso per container or drank from faucets without assurance of potability.
“The realization struck deeply. How could we invest in education without also addressing the basic health needs of these students? That’s when the idea took shape—quietly but powerfully. What if we didn’t stop at classrooms? What if we gave them access to safe, drinkable, life-sustaining water?” shared Safe Water For Every Child-Philippines (SWFEC-Ph) Volunteer Director for Admin and project lead Franco Catajoy.
Those questions catalyzed a new partnership. Catajoy reached out to Kaloy Manlupig, Volunteer CEO of Safe Water For Every Child-Philippines (SWFEC-Ph), an independent volunteer-led non-profit that installs SkyHydrant ultrafiltration systems in schools and communities across the country.
The portable SkyHydrant system provides over 10,000 liters of clean water per day, with no need for electricity or chemicals. It is a sustainable, low-maintenance solution with a lifespan of up to 10 years.
The water initiative, formally approved in January 2025 as an extension of the classroom project, led to the official turnover of a SkyHydrant ultrafiltration system to the school three months later.
The joyous ceremony attended by school officials, Department of Education representatives, partners, teachers, and students was marked by the ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Agreement and a symbolic first drink of purified water.
Before the project, access to safe drinking water was uncertain and unequal. Today, students drink for free.
“This is what happens when different sectors come together with a shared purpose. Safe Water for Every Child – Philippines (SWFEC-Ph) exists to make safe drinking water a reality for every learner. With partners like the BIRTH Club and CDO Masonic Lodge, we turn that vision into something real, something a child can drink today,” said Manlupig.
Globally, 844 million people lack access to safe drinking water. In the Philippines, 60 million people, more than half the population, do not have safe water, and 55 percent of schools face the same challenge. Poor sanitation and contaminated water remain among the leading causes of death for children under five.
Safe Water for Every Child – Philippines (SWFEC-Ph), in partnership with Disaster Aid Australia and the SkyJuice Foundation, helps bridge that gap by deploying SkyHydrant units to areas in need, especially schools, barangays, and disaster-hit zones. The organization is guided by a mission to serve communities and protect the health of children through equitable access to clean water.
To learn more about bringing safe drinking water to schools and communities, visit safewaterph.org. Follow us on Facebook @ Safe Water For Every Child Philippines Inc.
