Safeguard promotes handwashing after playtime: 5th Global Handwashing Day

 

Today, October 15 marks the 5th year of celebrating Global Handwashing Day in the Philippines. Stressing the importance of handwashing with soap through a simple message “Clean hands save lives”. The simple yet lifesaving act of handwashing with soap can reduce the incidence of diarrhea among children under five by more than 40 percent, and respiratory infections by nearly 25 percent.

Global Handwashing Day celebration aims to educate the public the importance of handwashing especially during critical times - before eating, before handling food, after using the toilet, after handling your pets and after playtime.

Stressing the importance of handwashing with soap, a more effective way of fighting germs and infections and preventing diseases such as diarrhea,  respiratory infections such as the deadly pneumonia.

In line with its mission to promote proper hygiene and health education among Filipino families, Safeguard first celebrated Global Handwashing Day in 2008. Five years later, Safeguard continues to lead the celebration of Global Handwashing Day in the Philippines by making it even bigger and better.

On its 5th birthday of Global Handwashing Day, Safeguard promotes handwashing with soap after playtime, one of the five critical times, by donating five playgrounds with handwashing stations. At a media event held in Sitio Una, Taguig, Safeguard proudly unveiled its birthday gift to the community - the first playground.

Safeguard and Play Pilipinas

On the 5th year of Global Handwashing Day, Safeguard encourages handwashing with soap after playtime through donation of 1st sustainable playground with handwashing station.

Upon invitation, I was one of the bloggers who witness the unveiling of Sitio Una’s playground. In order to ensure that the playgrounds are sustainable and safe, Safeguard partnered with play experts Play Pilipinas.

“We at Play Pilipinas believe that every child should be given the chance to play, and to play in a safe and sound environment. Our advocacy is to provide low-cost, sustainable, and child-safe playgrounds for Filipino children. We are happy to have a partner in Safeguard that ensures kids will also have immediate access to soap and water after playing,” says Ms. Sigrid Perez, co-founder of Play Pilipinas.

“Through the donation of these playgrounds, Safeguard wants to enable children to play in an environment safe from harm and disease-causing germs,” says Mr. Sotelo. 

At the new playground, there’s an innovative handwashing station reminding the kids to wash their hands with soap after playing.

Led by Tonipet, children from Sitio Una showed us the proper handwashing technique with soap.

“This new playground at Sitio Una, and 4 others to come, will represent not only the past 5 years of Global Handwashing Day, but also Safeguard’s continued commitment to promote proper hygiene and health education for many more years to come. “Handwashing education is and will continue to be the primary advocacy of Safeguard – not just on October 15, but every single day,” says Mr. Sotelo. Together with partners UNICEF and Fit for School, Procter & Gamble, through Safeguard, has reached over a million children in ten provinces in the country, teaching them the lifesaving habit of handwashing with soap.

Proper Handwashing with soap is something I already mastered since college. It is one of the best way to prevent the transmission of disease. It is just right to teach our children and members of the household the when and how to do the proper handwashing. You can do it while singing “Happy Birthday” song. Do not hurry, use soap like Safeguard, rinse thoroughly and dry your hands.

Let us join Safeguard celebrating its 5th Global Handwashing Day in the Philippines.  Watch out for more activities from Safeguard in the coming weeks. But, most importantly, don’t forget to wash your hands with Safeguard especially during the five critical moments!