Coke Foundation, PEF start 2nd phase of Scale Up Water program

Coke Foundation Philippines Inc. and Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together in a P13-million initiative to improve access to drinking water for 4,000 people in three sites in Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur.According to the PEF, this project is the second phase of a campaign called Scaling Up Program for Social Enterprises on Water Services or Scale Up Water.

Phase 2 will provide residents of Kalamansig and Lebak in Sultan Kudarat, as well as Bansalan, Davao del Sur, with potable water through a grant of P12.7 million.

Also, this stage will build on the success of the initial phase, which brought water supply to 13,000 individuals in different towns across the country.

“Before the program, households had to fetch their own water from open sources or hand pumps or buy water at high prices,” PEF program officer Amaris Cabason said in a statement.

“Through the Scale Up Water program, these households now have access to safe and affordable water,” Cabason said.

She said that from 2016 to 2018, PEF and Coke Foundation have provided P22 million worth of grants to local water cooperatives for six water projects in South Cotabato, Davao, Cebu and Surigao.

Cabason added that these cooperatives developed new water sources, supplied water to their existing service area around the clock, accepted new applications for connection, and equipped their members on how to sustain the project.