World Toilet Day 2014 Breaks Silence With Over One Million Pledges for Clean Toilets Worldwide
When I asked my mom to look after the kids for a few hours because I had been invited to take part in the World Toilet Day celebration, she gave me that familiar look.
“Hmm… are you still going? Really?”
“Can you handle that event?”
Well… yes. I may have a teeny tiny public toilet phobia.
Okay, fine. Not so tiny.
I’ve always tried to limit my use of public toilets as much as possible. I know it sounds odd, and yes, I’m aware that holding it in too often isn’t exactly great in the long term. But haven’t you heard? Public toilets can feel like breeding grounds for bacteria, people!
Unsanitized, dirty restrooms are just too much for me to handle.
Eww.
So stepping into an event centered on toilets was… ironic, to say the least.
The good thing is, the World Toilet Day 2014 celebration wasn’t just about toilets in the way people might imagine. It was a meaningful initiative led by Domex together with UNICEF, the Philippine Public Health Administration, the City of Manila, and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation.
Together, they launched a campaign advocating disease prevention through improved toilet sanitation.
And honestly? That part made me go, “Hooray!”
By promoting healthy living, we can dramatically improve the lives of millions of Filipino families across the country.
The sanitation crisis we are facing right now is quite serious. It is not something we can ignore or push aside as a minor issue.
Did you know that around 3.5 million children worldwide suffer from diarrheal diseases? That number is alarming, especially when you realize how many of these cases are preventable with proper sanitation, clean water, and access to safe toilets.
The reality is that it is within our power to help reduce this number, and in an ideal world, bring it down to zero.
Today, Unilever is taking a leading role in the fight against poor sanitation and hygiene across the country.
Observed annually on November 19, World Toilet Day aims to shine a spotlight on the 2.5 billion people around the world who still do not have access to clean, functional toilets.
This year, World Toilet Day 2014 was celebrated at the Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila, marked by the success of the One Million Clean Toilets Movement.
It was a powerful reminder that sanitation is not just a health issue it is a human dignity issue, and one that affects millions of lives every single day.
Mr. Sam Treglown of UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) shared how the celebration was brought to life through a series of engaging activities. These included fun runs, parades, and flash mobs, all designed to draw attention to World Toilet Day in a more dynamic and public way.
The theme for World Toilet Day 2014 centered on equality and dignity. It emphasized that access to proper sanitation is not just about infrastructure, but about basic human rights that everyone deserves.
A major focus of the campaign was raising awareness about the issue of open defecation. Beyond health risks, the discussion also highlighted a deeply serious concern: safety and dignity, particularly for women and girls who are disproportionately affected when safe and private sanitation facilities are unavailable.
By framing sanitation through the lens of equality, the campaign made one thing clear it is not only a public health issue, but also a matter of respect, safety, and human dignity.
Efforts to improve sanitation have also extended to some of the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach areas in the Philippines, including Leyte, Samar, Mindanao, and Masbate. These initiatives have been made possible through close collaboration between government agencies and non-government organizations, all working toward the shared goal of better hygiene and public health.
The challenge, however, has not been easy. In some communities, open defecation has long been part of daily life, shaped by limited access to proper toilets and sanitation facilities. Changing this habit requires more than infrastructure it also calls for education, behavior change, and sustained community support.
Back in 2010, the Department of Health (Philippines) issued an executive initiative encouraging barangays to achieve open defecation-free status. This marked an important step in pushing local communities toward safer sanitation practices.
Since then, progress has been made. A total of 86 barangays, with a combined population of around 180,000 people, have successfully reached open defecation-free status.
Of these, 35 barangays are in Samar, 39 in Leyte, 6 in Masbate, and another 6 in Central Mindanao. Each milestone represents not just improved infrastructure, but also a meaningful shift in habits, health outcomes, and community dignity.
1, 274,038 pledges nationwide , exceeding it's target set a year ago.
For every pledge received via social media and on-ground activities, Domex donated 5 pesos to UNICEF's sanitation program.
In 2015, the program will focus on teaching effective household toilet sanitation to another one million people across more than 2,000 barangays nationwide. The goal is to strengthen awareness and help families practice proper hygiene habits at home, ensuring that clean sanitation becomes part of everyday life in communities across the country.
FYI: You can also use Domex to help clean other parts of the house.
Here are the easy steps:
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God Bless & Stay Safe!