How does one get the support of at least one  million people for a specific cause? One way is to target an issue that is close to home (or the heart). Another is to go for the general welfare of the public. Domex effectively targeted these two with its launching of the One Million Clean Toilets Movement in support of the World Toilet Day.

The Formal Launch

The One Million Clean Toilets Movement was formally launched and presented to the media last November 5 at Patio Victoria in Intramuros, Manila. The event identified the prime movers of this advocacy to include UNICEF, the Philippine Public Health Association, the City of Manila, Pilipinas Shell, and of course, Unilever as represented by its Domex brand. Actress Dimples Romana ably hosted the event.

In this event, all attendees were encouraged to make a pledge in support of the cause via the Domex Philippines FB Page. Each pledge of support will translate to a PHP5 donation to UNICEF's Sanitation Program. Individual pledges are expected to come with a promise of pledgers to keep their own bathrooms at home clean, safe, and hygienic. The target to get one million pledges from private households is sought to be reached in time for the next World Toilet Day in November 2014.




























The Relevance of the Movement

The movement primarily aims to make better bathroom sanitation a nationwide initiative. It seeks to increase the public's awareness in the importance of maintaining proper toilet sanitation. This initiative comes in the heels of findings that diarrhea is the third leading cause of child illness and the fourth leading cause of death for children under five years old. UNICEF as an advocacy partner has been maintaining an active water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) program focused on households.

Domex will be conducting training activities through its deputized Germ Busters in the area of proper servicing of restrooms. The initial participants to these training activities will include Manila City Service employees, NLEX and SLEX Shell gas station service personnel, plus selected school and hospital sanitation staff. Domex intends to bring the same training to other areas in the near future.



Saving Lives One Toilet at a Time

Every laudable cause would need the participation of people to succeed. The people behind Domex believe that proper sanitation is a necessity at home. Maintaining cleanliness with the use of the right specialized cleaning products comes with the territory of aiming for a home that is safe and healthy for the family.

When individual household bathrooms are kept clean particularly on a nationwide basis, the combined efforts can effectively reduce incidents of related contamination. This makes it easier for government agencies, advocacy groups, and private companies to come together to find better solutions for people who have no access to their own bathrooms. Lives can indeed be saved one toilet at a time.

My Say

No one needs to convince me about the importance of maintaining clean bathrooms and toilets. That is something that I have learned while I was growing up. Now that I'm a mother, I stress its importance to my own children as well.

That said, I fully support this movement and what it represents in relation to ensuring a healthier environment for our children and the generations to come.