PCWS-ITNF

The PCWS-ITNF vision is: A clean environment for all with adequate, safe, accessible and affordable drinking water supply, sanitation and hygiene.  Its mission is: Promoting the human right to water and sanitation through strategies, approaches and technologies that are respectful of ecosystems and empowering to people, especially the marginalized.

PCWS-ITNF continues to build capacity and awareness of WASH technologies and the opportunities they provide. It is committed to provide technical expertise for improving the WASH situation of communities, households and institutions.  PCWS-ITNF will continue to work with local governments in implementing the political will of pro-poor access to adequate water supply and sanitation services.

In previous years, PCWS-ITNF worked in the following provinces and cities:

1 Agusan del Norte 2 Agusan del Sur 3 Albay 4 Antigue 5 Baguio City 6 Batanes 7 Batangas 8 Benguet 9 Bohol 10 Bukidnon 11 Bulacan 12 Cagayan 13 Camarines Norte 14 Camarines Sur 15 Camiguin 16 Catanduanes 17 Cavite 18 Cebu 19 Compostela Valley 20 Davao City 21 Davao del Sur 22 Davao Oriental 23 Eastern Samar

24 General Santos City 25 Ifugao 26 Iligan City 27 Ilocos Norte 28 Ilocos Sur 29 Iloilo 30 Isabela 31 Kalinga 32 La Union 33 Laguna 34 Lanao del Norte 35 Lanao del Sur 36 Leyte 37 Maguindanao 38 Masbate 39 Metro Cebu 40 Metro Manila 41 Mindoro Occidental 42 Mindoro Oriental 43 Misamis Occidental 44 Misamis Oriental 45 Negros Occidental 46 North Cotabato

47 Northern Samar 48 Nueva Vizcaya 49 Palawan 50 Quezon 51 Quezon City 52 Rizal 53 Romblon 54 Siargao Archipelago 55 Sibugay 56 Sorsogon 57 South Cotabato 58 Sultan Kudarat 59 Sulu 60 Surigao del Norte 61 Surigao del Sur 62 Taguig City 63 Tawi-Tawi Archipelago 64 Western Samar 65 Zambales 66 Zamboanga City 67 Zamboanga del Norte 68 Zamboanga del Sur

Current Programs/Projects

Researches on Integrating Low-Cost WASH Technology Options with Housing Technologies

The researches include demonstration projects on ferro-cement houses with rainwater harvesting and other water supply systems, household water treatment and safe storage facilities, biogas digester septic tank for waste management, and low-cost wastewater treatment system. 

The demonstration projects are meant to show that these simple, low-cost technologies help conserve water, prevent pollution, and enable families to adapt to climate change.  It also shows that sanitation is neither expensive nor complicated and is achievable even in a difficult, congested, flood-prone urban environment or in an isolated peri-urban area.  The efforts represent the cumulative learnings of PCWS-ITNF from its field-based implementation experiences and its interactions with households and communities.  PCWS-ITNF hopes that the research results and demonstration projects could help solve the lack of housing among low-income Filipino families as well as inspire the passing of enabling local and national policies for both human health and environmental protection.

PCWS-ITNF did researches for a low-cost alternative wastewater treatment for communities and households (LOCAL WATCH), a sanitation system that includes toilets, biogas digester septic tank, baffled reactor, anaerobic filter, gravel filter and lotus/fish pond.  LOCAL WATCH was developed in response to the fact that sanitation is lagging behind in the Philippines as it is not a priority of national and most local governments, NGOs, communities, etc. partly due to the belief that sanitation technologies like wastewater treatment systems are expensive and complicated. 

PCWS-ITNF continues to do researches with partner organizations and households on more appropriate housing designs with low-cost water supply and sanitation systems and how these could be made more affordable to low-income families. 

Technical Assistance to Local Governments, NGOs and Communities on Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

PCWS-ITNF provides technical assistance to local governments, communities and NGOs to improve water supply, sanitation and hygiene. It also undertakes researches, trainings and consultancies in partnership with relevant organizations.  PCWS-ITNF addresses the lack of knowledge, awareness and appreciation of low-cost sanitation technologies among policy makers.  It also encourages increased investments in sanitation and the development of enabling policies.  Local governments are called upon to include among their priorities the implementation of WASH programs.

Aside from responding to requests for technical assistance, PCWS-ITNF presents low-cost appropriate alternative WASH technology options to create positive changes. It addresses the need to make sanitation affordable to low-income households.  Expanding the range of water supply and sanitation systems presented to communities and households provide them with more options and information.

Consultancy Services

	Researches pertaining to water supply, sanitation and hygiene
	Accounting and auditing services to water cooperatives and non-governmental organizations
	Capability building for the operation and maintenance of communal water systems
	Low-cost wastewater treatment
	Sanitation education
	Waste management
	WASH (water supply, sanitation and hygiene) advocacy
	Engineering design for water supply and sanitation systems
	Special projects such as dioramas (1,2,3), etc.

Action Researches with Households

PCWS-ITNF continues to do researches with households on more appropriate designs of water supply, sanitation and hygiene systems and how these could be made more affordable to low-income families.  Even after the implementation of projects, the communities and households are encouraged to maintain consultative access to PCWS-ITNF engineers, especially for those who have acquired skills in building their own and their community's water supply and sanitation systems.

PCWS-ITNF is currently undertaking research on the use of ferro-cement tanks for aquaculture.  Other researches with households focus on reducing the amount of solid waste and creating alternative energy for production of fertilizers, water and biogas.

Rainwater Harvesting Advocacy

PCWS-ITNF and the WASH Coalition advocate for the building of low-cost rainwater harvesting tanks in homes, public schools and offices in the Philippines. Here's how to construct a ferro-cement rainwater harvesting tank. 

WASH-related Published Works of PCWS-ITNF Staff:

1. Capistrano, Lyn.  A Study on Personal and Home Hygiene in Flood-Prone Communities in the Philippines. Published by WSSCC and IRC. Geneva and The Hague. 2010. http://www.wsscc.org/resources/resource-publications/study-personal-and-home-hygiene-flood-prone-communities-philippines?rck=7d7644bacd5f671deedf4dc7756f342e; and http://www.irc.nl/page/51619.

2. Capistrano, Lyn and Gerlach Esther.  Regulating Management and Concession Contracts for the Poor – Case Study 8: Manila, The Philippines.  In:  Regulating Water and Sanitation for the Poor.  Economic Regulation for Public and Private Partnerships. Edited by Richard Franceys and Esther Gerlach.  Earthscan. London. 2008.

3. Capistrano, Lyn.  The Philippines Pilots Water Safety Plans.  Water Utility Management International 3.3 (2008) 12-13. IWA. London.  http://www.iwaponline.com/wumi/003030012.htm

4. Capistrano, Lyn and Gutierrez, Eric. For-profit versus not-for-profit: cases from the Philippines. Three case studies: Daragan, New Bulatukan and Magdalena from interviews and focus group discussions with key informants in the community and leaders of water associations.  Published by WaterAid and Tearfund. London. 2003. http://www.wateraid.org/documents/plugin_documents/pspphilippinesweb.pdf

5. Gendrano, Jose Carmelo. The Biggest Problem of the Philippine Water and Sanitation Sector. Water & Sanitation FORUM, vol.5, no.2, June 2000, ITNF, Quezon City.

6. Gendrano, Jose Carmelo. Ferrocement Applications. Water & Sanitation FORUM, vol.4, no.4, December 1999, ITNF, Quezon City.

7. Capistrano, Lyn.  Restoring and Protecting Wetlands can Prevent Freshwater Crisis. Water & Sanitation FORUM, vol.3, no.2, August 1998, ITNF, Quezon City.

8. Capistrano, Lyn.  Looking at Philippine Wetlands. Water & Sanitation FORUM, vol.3, no.1, April 1998, ITNF, Quezon City.

9. Gendrano, Jose Carmelo. A Low-Cost, Low Tech Way of Making Water Tanks. Water & Sanitation FORUM, vol.3, no.3, December 1999, ITNF, Quezon City.

10. Gendrano, Jose Carmelo. Prevention and Treatment of Iron-Laden Water Supplies. Water & Sanitation FORUM, vol.3, no.3, December 1999, ITNF, Quezon City.

11. Capistrano, Lyn.  Water Systems can Help Prevent Iodine Deficiency Disorders. Water & Sanitation FORUM, vol.2, no.3, August 1997, ITNF, Quezon City.

KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WORK OF PCWS-ITNF

PCWS-ITNF Brochure 2012

Diorama of Low-cost WASH Technologies

Ferrocement Biogas Digester

Ferrocement Biogas Waste Tank - TV Channel 5 Interview Video

Country Water Action - Philippines

Ferro-cement Biogas Septic Tank - TV Channel 2 Interview Video

Biogas Digester Hands-on Construction Training Video

Iron Removal Filter Hands-on Construction Training Video

Transforming Used Plastic Bags