truth be told, i have never heard of “world toilet day” until about 2 weeks ago. apparently, world toilet day has been celebrated every november 19th for years! 13, to be exact. and they even have an organization for it which was founded on the 19th of november 2001, with the inaugural world toilet summit held on the same day in singapore to address the issue of sanitation all around the world (thus, the date).

philippines included.

i could crack a couple of shitty jokes right now but a verbal diarrhea of senseless humor might seem too, uh, tacky. and believe me when i say that those puns were definitely not intended. it’s just that, you know, toilet = shit. it’s the kind of mathematical equation whose solution is as automatic as 1+1.

this shit is serious. (i’m sorry but i had to say that, for emphasis.)

anyway, if there’s one person who feels so deeply about the issue, it’s jeff. growing up deprived of basic sanitation, he recounted tales of how and where they shat before. describing their toilet facilities, he spoke about how a deep hole was dug in the ground with two slabs of wood placed on top where they could squat. “it was fucking scary! i was afraid of either inhaling all those bacteria — or falling right into the bacteria!”

sure, we laughed about all of it last night but i have to admit the gravity of the situation is real. however, the libran that i am, i tried to weigh things out. i even had the audacity to downplay his experiences by suggesting, “but jeffy, maybe it was because you lived in woop-woop. the city’s toilets probably weren’t that bad!”

“no, it was like that even in the city, boo. that’s just how the toilets were back then.” 

“back then” was more than 20 years ago. by now, you’d think the toilets have changed together with the times but i have to admit: it’s something that’s still happening now. especially in rural areas where underprivileged communities live.

and frankly, even in the city where establishments don’t give a hoot about providing their customers with decent restrooms. (gawd, i hate that!)

which is why i am supporting Domex in their efforts to achieve their One Million Clean Toilets Movement. they produced this video which shows how underprivileged Filipinos welcome the “arrival” of clean toilet facilities in their communities to make people realize the value of a toilet which many of us take for granted.

“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.

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.

so, yeah, if you want to make a difference in your own little way, just watch the video below. it’s that simple! (and what’s 1 minute and 8 seconds of your day compared to a lifetime of health that you can give to these people?)