05/11/2025
Water is a human right.
The Rotary Clubs of Midtown Diliman (RCMD) and Iwakuni (District 2710, Japan) aim to do their part in upholding this basic human right when they held their first ever Joint Club Meeting on November 2, 2025 at Victorino's Restaurant, to discuss the plan to launch a clean water project for the indigenous community of Sitio Macantog in Tanay, Rizal.
Attending the Club Meeting were Rotarians and Rotaractors of RCMD and the Rotaract Club of Midtown Diliman. On the side of RC Iwakuni, present were UFG President Michiaki Muramoto, International Service Committee Chair (ISC) Suekawa Satoshi, International Service Committee Members Kanagawa Ritsuo and Tomota Yousuke, and Club Information and Communications Officer (CICO) Tetsuya Ono.
Sitio Macantog, which is RCMD's adopted community, is composed of 220 residents and lies in the uplands of Tanay. Having no access to the government's water district services, they rely entirely on natural water sources which are severely inadequate during the dry season (3 to 5 months a year). Residents of Sitio Macantog settle for between 10-12 liters per capita of raw and often contaminated water (classified as "survival" by the World Health Organization), which is well below the minimum 20 liters per capita set by the WHO.
RCMD and RC Iwakuni discussed the possibility of addressing these issues in several phases, beginning with establishing water storage and filtration structures, increasing storage capacity and maximizing water sources (rainwater and runoff), and then finally, constructing a deep well and water distribution system.
With the prospect of a long-term project, RCMD and RC Iwakuni hope that this joint effort will likewise build the two Clubs' long-term friendship and fellowship in contributing even in a small way towards world peace.
