Buhay KYUT is a LWUA-conceived program on water conservation, health, and hygiene being implemented by the Local Water Utilities Administration thru its Public Affairs Department in cooperation with identified water districts, the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Education (DepEd) and Local Government Units (LGUs).

This year and for the first time in the program, wastewater management and waste recycling are integrated, thus, the need to work in close collaboration with the Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR).

“KYUT” stands for Kalusugan, Yamang Ugnay sa Tubig. “BUHAY”, on the other hand, means lifestyle. The program aims to achieve a clean and healthy lifestyle for all members of the family particularly the women and children.

What are its project components?

The program is divided into six modules described as follows:

Module 1. Water Conservation - the practice of using water wisely by members of the family

Module 2. Personal Hygiene - the observance by the children of hand washing before and after eating and after using the toilet

Module 3. Food Hygiene – the observance by the mothers of hand and food washing before cooking

Module 4. Community Hygiene – the observance by the members of the family of cleanliness at home and in the environment

Module 5. Wastewater Management - the observance of proper waste disposal using appropriate technologies to avoid flooding, and reduce waste

Module 6. Livelihood Activity – implementation of income-generating project such as waste recycling

What Buhay KYUT aims to achieve?

The program hopes to achieve the following objectives :

1. To inculcate among the members of the family the virtue of observing water conservation at home

2. To inculcate among children the habit of hand washing before and after eating and after using the toilet

3. To inculcate among mothers the habit of hand and food washing before cooking

4. To inculcate among the members of the family the value of house cleanliness and proper wastje disposal

5. To inculcate among the members of the family the benefits of waste recycling as a means to earn income for the family

Why Buhay KYUT matters?

LWUA considers the Buhay Kyut program as one of the best projects to implement nationwide in response to the government’s call for the promotion of a healthy citizenry, a clean environment and a livelihood advocacy, in close collaboration with the water districts, Dept. of Health (DOH), Dept. of Education (DepEd), Dept. of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR) and LGUs. For the first time, wastewater management and livelihood activities are integrated with the regular health, hygiene and water conservation campaign.

In practice, the water districts have provided the venue (selected public elementary schools in their locality or baranggay) and participated as resource speakers to discuss proper usage of water and water consumer’s responsibility to the water districts. But with the enthusiasm with which these local water institutions have implemented the pilot activities of the program, the program places no limit on the amount of participation and resources with which they will implement Buhay KYUT in their communities.

The DOH and the DENR provide resource speakers to discuss health and hygiene and waste water management including waste recycling with livelihood component. The Deped, on the other hand, provides a time slot for the school children and teachers to participate in the program.

LWUA-PAD handles the overall supervision towards the accomplishment of the project objectives. All concerned agencies distribute info/educational materials for the participants, usually in the form of posters, brochures and flipcharts among others.

These government agencies will perform the task of raising the average awareness of the public thru dissemination of information and educating them as well on these issues especially those living in the provinces.

With all these concerted efforts from participating agencies, LWUAS forsees that this program will significantly contribute to the government’s endeavor to fulfill the Philippine’s commitment to the United Nation’s Millenium Development Goal (MDG) where women and children’s health lie among the goals of utmost importance.