Innovative solutions to address water and sanitation challenges

Philippine Water Challenge ends in :

 
 

Philippine Water Challenge Organizers : 

THE CHALLENGE


Innovations have been shown to help address real-world problems, and the continuing challenge to safe water and safely managed sanitation facilities is one such problem that can benefit from new ideas and tools.

The Philippine Water Challenge (PhlWC) is designed as a platform to generate promising innovations, support improvements and promote scale-up of application of such innovations. The PhlWC is inspired by the World Water Challenge (WWC), an international contest for water solutions that started as a follow-up activity to the 7th World Water Forum in 2015. The WWC has since been held annually as part of the Korea International Water Week.

The PhlWC is organized by the USAID Safe Water Project in collaboration with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, Manila Water Company, Inc., and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. These partners are committed to providing improved access to water supply and sanitation (WSS) services to communities and building resilience to ensure a water-secure future.

Safe Water recognizes the important role of innovation and the potential contribution of the private sector in generating innovative solutions in addressing WSS challenges. The private sector can offer its expertise and entrepreneurial capability to scale up viable innovations identified through the Philippine Water Challenge.

OBJECTIVES


The Philippine Water Challenge (PhlWC) is an annual competition that aims to:

  • Identify innovative solutions that may include technologies, processes, and systems that will benefit both water service providers and users;
  • Identify community demonstration projects that can contribute to improved access to water and sanitation among water-stressed communities; and
  • Promote cross-sectoral collaboration to address water and sanitation-related challenges in these communities.

CHALLENGE THEMES

The PhlWC responds to two Challenge Themes that represent the two of the most pressing problems faced by both WSPs and water users. These are Theme 1: Solutions for Effective and Efficient Water Supply Management and Theme 2: Solutions for Community Access to Safe Sanitation Facilities.

Theme 1. Solutions for Effective and Efficient Water Supply Management

In a country with approximately 12.4 million people are still lacking access to safe drinking water and where two of every 10 municipalities are considered waterless, water service providers (WSPs) carry the burden of bringing effective and efficient water supply to every household. However, WSPs, themselves, are haunted by challenges on their own. Of the 4,700 water utilities in the country, about half are very small and unregulated – unable to adopt new technologies and challenged with financial constraints and operational inefficiencies. With COVID-19 shutdowns since last year, WSPs suffered severe losses due to delinquency or nonpayment from many of their consumers.

Waterless households and the WSPs, fortunately, now have the concrete opportunity to address the challenges of waterless households and WSPs.

In Theme 1, your solutions for water users or consumers could focus on effective and efficient methods or technologies for water consumption. These solutions may include water saving devices, water filtration technologies, and others means to use less water for accomplishing tasks. On the other hand, solutions for WSPs must focus on operational efficiency solutions and exclude institutional challenges on governance and policy reforms. WSPs need practicable, low-cost, and efficient solutions that take into account cost, operation and maintenance, and human resource requirements that small WSPs can sustain. These solutions may include indigenous technologies, prototypes of tools, devices, financial models or mobile apps – applicable solutions to potable water supply (water quality solutions). Entries may include network design on how water supply will be distributed directly and efficiently to the tap to reach more households.

Theme 2. Solutions for Community Access to Safe Sanitation Facilities

More than four million people in the country practice open defecation. While the rest of the Filipinos have access to toilets, many low-income households still rely on shared or unsanitary toilets. Twenty-three of 25 Filipino households do not have access to sewerage systems. As a result, a large volume of untreated domestic wastewater ends up contaminating ground water – the water we get from pumps and wells – and surface water in our rivers, lakes, seas, etc. This untreated water poses serious threats to public health and our environment.

Through the Philippine Water Challenge, you can contribute solutions to bringing us closer to providing more households access to safely managed sanitation services and protecting the environment, through Theme 2.

Among rural and informal settlers’ communities, sanitation services that do not require sewer connection may work in addressing open defecation in these communities. Solutions may include innovative toilet products, latrine collection, and waste treatment technology that are inexpensive to build and maintain, community pilot projects or financing schemes to increase access of communities to improved sanitation facilities and waste treatment. For example, biogas technology has been in the country for years. To date, however, there is no documented model of its successful application on sanitation at the community level.

CATEGORIES


For both themes, there will be two categories:

 

Entries may be a single solution or a combination of solutions.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS


Who can participate?

  • Groups/organizations such as LGUs, water utilities, NGOs, academic institutions, barangays, peoples organizations, cooperatives, social enterprises or foundations
  • Individuals above 18 years old of age regardless of profession
  • Large water utilities are ineligible to participate

What solutions are we looking for?

Entries may be technology or non-technology solutions in nature and may be a single solution or combination of solutions:

  • Appropriate technologies / solutions (apps, financial models, process models, or tangible innovations such as equipment, tools, devices)
  • Community demonstration projects contributing to improved access to water and sanitation among water-stressed communities
  • Entries must have proof of concept, meaning they have been piloted for at least 6 months
  • Inclusiveness potential: responsive to the needs of marginalized groups (such as low-income households, women, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities); and encourages involvement of communities or relevant sectors
Read Terms and Conditions.

Before you start an application


Please read PhlWC objectives, challenge themes, eligibility requirements (who can participate and what solutions are we looking for), and evaluation criteria thoroughly before applying. Review if your water solution is relevant to our objectives and fits within the eligibility requirements. For more information, please read the PhlWC Primer.

How the application and selection process work

  • Applicants can submit one (1) entry per theme and can apply for both categories

Starting and submitting your application

If you and your water solution are eligible to apply, download the Application Form. Applications can only be submitted via email at applications.philwaterchallenge@gmail.com. Submit a completely accomplished application form including financials section and attach the following:

  • Video Submission Guidelines
  • Photos of your water solution
  • Supporting documents such as written testimonials of beneficiaries and partners (if no video submitted), published articles, other relevant proof of concept
Download Application Form Read Terms and Conditions.

Screening & Evaluation


Prizes

Overall Grand Prize

One Overall Grand Prize solution will receive Php 250,000 in cash as partnership fund; a Php 250,000-worth incubation package; and, an opportunity to pitch their solutions to other investors as part of the networking package.

First Prize

Two First Prize solutions for each category which will receive Php 150,000 in cash as partnership fund; 10 mentorship sessions to further improve and market the solution; and an opportunity to pitch their solutions to other investors as part of the networking package.

Second Prize

Two Second Prize solutions for each category which will receive Php 100,000 in cash as partnership fund; and, five mentorship sessions to further improve and market the solution.

Philippine Water Challenge (PhlWC) FAQ

What is the Philippine Water Challenge or PhlWC?

The Philippine Water Challenge (PhlWC) is the first-ever platform to generate promising innovations, support improvements and promote scale-up of application of such innovations. Watch to learn more: https://fb.watch/7qM7IS_Rzm/

What is the purpose of the PhlWC?

The PhlWC is an annual competition that aims to identify innovative solutions that will benefit both water services providers and users; identify community demonstration projects; and, promote cross-sectoral collaboration to address water and sanitation challenges.

Who is running the PhlWC? Who are the partners involved?

The PhlWC is organized by the USAID Safe Water Project in collaboration with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, Manila Water Company, Inc., and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. The PhlWC is also sponsored by the Coca-Cola Foundation, the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines, Smart Communications, IdeaSpace, and QBO, other key players in the water and innovation sectors.

Why would someone participate in PhlWC?

The PhlWC responds to two Challenge Themes that represent the two of the most pressing problems faced by both WSPs and water users.

What are the challenges we are trying to address?

The PhlWC responds to these two Challenge Themes, namely: Theme 1: Solutions for Effective and Efficient Water Supply Management; and, Theme 2: Solutions for Community Access to Safe Sanitation Facilities. In Theme 1, the focus is on addressing ineffective and inefficient methods or lack of technologies in connection to water consumption. While, in Theme 2, the focus is on addressing the lack of household access to safely managed sanitation services.

What is the scale of PhlWC solutions?

The PhlWC has two categories: (1) Small-scale solutions: those that benefit 1,000 beneficiaries/ individuals and below; and (2) Large-scale solutions: above 1,000 beneficiaries/ individuals.

Who can participate?

The PhlWC invites the following to participate:

  • Groups/organizations such as LGUs, water utilities, NGOs, academic institutions, barangays, peoples organizations, cooperatives, social enterprises or foundations
  • Individuals above 18 years old of age regardless of profession

Large water utilities are ineligible to participate

What solutions are we looking for?

Entries may be technology or non-technology solutions in nature and may be a single solution or combination of solutions:

  • Appropriate technologies / solutions (apps, financial models, process models, or tangible innovations such as equipment, tools, devices)
  • Community demonstration projects contributing to improved access to water and sanitation among water-stressed communities
  • Entries must have proof of concept, meaning they have been piloted for at least 6 months
  • Inclusiveness potential: responsive to the needs of marginalized groups (such as low-income households, women, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities); and encourages involvement of communities or relevant sectors

How to participate in the PhlWC?

Registration for applicants to take part in the challenge is now open via https://pdrf.org/philippinewaterchallenge until October 31, 2021. Submit the completed Application Form including financials section via email at applications.philwaterchallenge@gmail.com. Don’t forget to attach videos, photos, or other supporting documents. Watch to learn more: https://fb.watch/7qM0BOUsQI/

How will teams be judged?

This year’s judging process will be based on several factors including

  • Relevance and Comprehensiveness
  • Financial Viability
  • Replicability and Scalability
  • Compliance with applicable regulations/ minimum standards
  • Innovativeness
  • Inclusiveness 

Who will be judging?

The top entries shall be sent to the Board of Jurors represented by these organizations:

  • NEDA
  • USAID
  • Maynilad
  • Manila Water
  • Coca-cola Foundation

Will there be prizes?

The PhlWC will be awarding five winning solutions:

  • One Overall Grand Prize solution will receive Php 250,000 in cash as partnership fund; a Php 250,000-worth incubation package; and, an opportunity to pitch their solutions to other investors as part of the networking package.
  • Two First Prize solutions for each category which will receive Php 150,000 in cash as partnership fund; 10 mentorship sessions to further improve and market the solution; and an opportunity to pitch their solutions to other investors as part of the networking package.
  • Two Second Prize solutions for each category which will receive Php 100,000 in cash as partnership fund; and, five mentorship sessions to further improve and market the solution.

Co-Organizers


 USAID Safe Water Project 

The Safe Water Project is a five-year (December 2019 to December 2024) technical assistance project funded by the USAID and implemented by DAI as the Prime Contractor. The primary purpose of the Safe Water Project is to improve water security of water-stressed communities in the Philippines. At the conclusion of the Safe Water Project, local government units (“LGUs”), WSPs  and watershed committees in the targeted provinces and cities will have the information, incentives, and partnerships to identify and address barriers to a water-secure future— yielding life-saving gains in access to water supply and sanitation services for unserved and underserved households. Poor access to reliable water supply  and the pervasive problem of sanitation pose critical challenges to the well-being and resilience of communities.

 

Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation 


PDRF was established in 2009 as concrete expression of the private sector commitment to address the needs of disaster-stricken communities and support reconstruction programs. In 2013, PDRF was reorganized and intensified as the umbrella organization of the private sector for disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery. Corresponding programs were created for post-disaster recovery in five key sectors: (a) shelter, (b) livelihood, (c) education, (d) environment, and (e) water, infrastructure, sanitation, and health. Through strategic partnerships with the private sector, PDRF addresses gaps in the supply and quality of water resources, strengthens the resilience of public infrastructure, and broadens community access to health facilities.

Manila Water Company, Inc.


Manila Water Company,  Inc. (“MWCI”) is a publicly-listed water and wastewater services company that has presence in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. Founded in 1997 as the water utility concessionaire for the east zone of the Philippine capital, Manila Water has since expanded its operations to other areas in the Philippines through Manila Water Philippine Ventures (MWPV), and has established a presence in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia through Manila Water Asia Pacific (MWAP).  Manila Water Total Solutions, another subsidiary, serves as an incubator of water and environment-related solutions .  Manila Water Foundation is the corporate social investments affiliate. 

Maynilad Water Services Inc.


Maynilad is the water and wastewater services provider for the 17 cities and municipalities that comprise the West Zone of the Metropolitan Manila area. Maynilad focuses on delivering sustainable water solutions—meeting the needs of customers, caring for shared water resources, and ensuring that the business is properly managed, from human resources to operations. Guided by the 3 Pillars of Sustainability—People, Progress, and Planet—Maynilad’s main focus is on sustainable development contributions of its core products and services, management of the key impacts of its business activities, and management of its community impact and social advocacy. Its social responsibility programs include Plant for Life, Daloy Dunong, Ginhawa Gardening, GinhaW.A.S.H. Kapwa, Green Badge, and Pag-asa sa Patubig Partnerships (water-for-the-poor program).

Sponsors


Platinum Sponsor

Coca-Cola Foundation Inc.

‘The Coca-Cola Foundation is the’ company’s primary international philanthropic arm. Since its inception in 1984, The Foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to support sustainable community initiatives around the world. The Coca-Cola Company is committed to giving back 1% of its prior year’s operating income annually. In 2020, we contributed more than $186 million – more than any previous year to directly benefit some 432 organizations across 154 countries and territories. Contributions include $139 million from The Coca-Cola Foundation and $47 million from The Coca-Cola Company.

The Foundation partners with NGOs, through its Agos Program, to install sustainable systems that bring water to remote islands and mountain villages. its watershed conservation efforts, meanwhile, help ensure that water continues to flow for future generations.

Gold Sponsors

Embassy of Israel in the Philippines

Since its foundation in 1948, Israel has placed great emphasis on maximizing its water supply, famously turning much of its arid land into fertile agricultural soil. Today, the Israeli water industry is recognized as a global leader in the water arena, thanks to breakthrough technological innovations in areas such as desalination, drip irrigation and water security. The areas of expertise of Israeli companies in the water arena include: water management; water for agriculture; water treatment; desalination; water safety and security; water IT and communications.

Smart Communications, Inc.

As a responsible corporate citizen, Smart is committed to strengthening its community service initiatives on various fronts. Its approach –- closely involving their partner communities in the implementation of various programs, emphasizing sustainability, tapping partners to help other partners, and integrating programs and projects in the mandates of different business units of the company. Our community partnership initiatives summarize our approach to corporate social responsibility — beyond the conventional “feel good” programs or the corporate philanthropy model.

IdeaSpace and QBO Innovation Hub

IdeaSpace and QBO Innovation Hub are two local startup accelerators that realigned this 2021 under the guidance of Katrina R. Chan, who was appointed executive director of both organizations. Their vision is to enable founders to seek the combined organization’s support at any point in the startup journey—from conceptualization to incubation to acceleration. Ongoing programs include IdeaSpace’s flagship acceleration program, which has been running since 2012, as well as its programs in partnership with Google for Startups, UNICEF (the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund), ING (the ING, or Internationale Nederlanden Groep, Group), the US Embassy, and Youth Business International.