You've probably have stacks of memories visiting your grandparents in the summertime. I know I have. And they are fond memories.
But my old folks don't have a huge hacienda of any kind. They were merely farmer folks who live in Siquijor who have a small patch of farm that they tend to. It was in the mountains too and we had to travel a long way via foot to get to their house.
Every summer, whenever we visit for a reunion. The whole relatives gather at their place. Imagine all the kids running around - cousins, brothers, sisters - bunched up together in one place to meet their cousins from another city coming to visit once in a blue moon!
And then the toilet, oh my, I remember the kind.
It's the type where you have to squat down when you do your thing.
It's the type of toilet where I wish no one saw me coming in and no one sees me coming out.
It's the type of toilet where I wish there were no peeping toms or silly cousins lounging around because they will definitely get to see a piece of you!
And it's not even lined up with sweet white tiles! Just cement blocks.. just blocks..
Such were the type we have to struggle with in our vacation to the island of Siquijor.
That was years before and I am pretty sure toilets there would be better today.
This is what I can share to those who are celebrating World Toilet Day today - be happy you don't have toilets like back in the 80s.
It's weird having to appreciate toilets. But why not! Kids before (think: your parents) did not get to have the luxury of putting their shiny bottoms on a very clean toilet. And most probably not airconditioned, as the ones you are fortunate to use today.
So with that, Happy World Toilet Day! :)
=== Press Release ====
Community welcomes arrival of clean toilets in “Fiesta” video
But my old folks don't have a huge hacienda of any kind. They were merely farmer folks who live in Siquijor who have a small patch of farm that they tend to. It was in the mountains too and we had to travel a long way via foot to get to their house.
Every summer, whenever we visit for a reunion. The whole relatives gather at their place. Imagine all the kids running around - cousins, brothers, sisters - bunched up together in one place to meet their cousins from another city coming to visit once in a blue moon!
And then the toilet, oh my, I remember the kind.
It's the type where you have to squat down when you do your thing.
It's the type of toilet where I wish no one saw me coming in and no one sees me coming out.
It's the type of toilet where I wish there were no peeping toms or silly cousins lounging around because they will definitely get to see a piece of you!
And it's not even lined up with sweet white tiles! Just cement blocks.. just blocks..
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| from toilet-related-ailments.com |
That was years before and I am pretty sure toilets there would be better today.
This is what I can share to those who are celebrating World Toilet Day today - be happy you don't have toilets like back in the 80s.
It's weird having to appreciate toilets. But why not! Kids before (think: your parents) did not get to have the luxury of putting their shiny bottoms on a very clean toilet. And most probably not airconditioned, as the ones you are fortunate to use today.
So with that, Happy World Toilet Day! :)
=== Press Release ====
Community welcomes arrival of clean toilets in “Fiesta” video
It’s a scene typically played out during fiestas: People rushing to the streets, drawn to the sound of a marching band. Everyone is smiling, eager to see the “star” of the celebration. But instead of showing the face of a movie celebrity, a beauty queen or a politician, the video reveals an unlikely, yet welcome sight—a new, clean toilet facility.
Aptly titled “Fiesta”, the Domex video, produced by Unilever Philippines, is available on Youtube and shows how underprivileged Filipinos welcome the “arrival” of clean toilet facilities in their communities. “The video aims to make people realize the value of a toilet which most of us, unfortunately, take for granted,” said Dennis Chua, Domex Brand Manager.
The “Fiesta” video contributes to the efforts of Domex’s One Million Clean Toilets Movement. Each unique view translates into a pledge for the advocacy campaign which collects pledges from households to conscientiously maintain their own hygienic bathrooms. For every pledge received, Domex will donate P5 to UNICEF’s sanitation program, towards improving access to basic sanitation in deprived areas around the world, including the Philippines.
“By watching the ‘Fiesta’ video and asking our friends to watch it, we are not only raising awareness for toilet appreciation and sanitation, more importantly, we are helping less privileged communities gain access to clean toilet facilities,” said Benjie Yap, Unilever Foods and Home Care Vice President.
Clean toilets, germ-free communities
All over the country, people are welcoming the construction of new toilet facilities and the repair of dilapidated ones, since becoming aware of its role in disease prevention, especially among children.
According to the Department of Health, of the estimated 3,420 diarrhea-related deaths among Filipino children under 5 every year, around 2,000 could have been prevented by access to safe water, improved toilet sanitation and personal hygiene.
“This video should serve as a wake-up call for most of us. The little things we take for granted, like having a clean toilet, could mean the world to others and could definitely help save lives,” Chua said.
