Three institutions were pronounced the winners in this year’s entries based on their sustainability, usability, cleanliness, and general comfort.
As a way to celebrate the annual World Toilet Day, Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) held the “Golden Kubeta Awards” (GKA) to honor the top public restrooms and champions of responsible wastewater management in the country.
Only winners from its top three categories—for business, government, and the city’s most luxurious restroom—were honored in this year’s seventh GKA award. The rigorous screening and audit conducted by the GKA team, as well as other sustainability factors, led to a unique set of winners this year.
The newly renovated Manila Zoo, which was awarded the Champion of Responsible Wastewater Management (Government Category), has its restrooms fully upgraded, making it the country’s first zoo with such world-class facility. In order to comply with adequate waste disposal, the park has also highlighted its own Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).
Meanwhile, the Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital (CLDH) in Tarlac, one of the top medical facilities in the North, was also recognized as the Champion of Responsible Wastewater Management (Business Category). The hospital disclosed that, before engaging with Maynilad, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had issued a non-compliance warning to the hospital. To help them with this, the hospital tapped Maynilad to design and construct its STP, which utilizes Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) technology. Since then, CLDH has had more time to focus on helping patients recover rather than worrying about maintaining compliance with DENR regulations.
The Lyceum of the Philippines in Manila was named “The Most Exquisite Restroom in the City.” The newly built academic facility began operating in September 2022 and has been connected to Maynilad’s sewerage system since 2021. Since its debut, the restroom has gained a reputation as an Instagram-worthy space, and in addition, it incorporates rainwater harvesting technology for toilet flushes.
This year’s award is a continuous battle of maintaining the cleanest restrooms for personal hygiene and health, as well as actively educating the public on proper wastewater management.
In the course of giving recognition through the Golden Kubeta Awards, Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez underscored during the award ceremony that “a lot of institutions—both from the public and private sectors—actually practice responsible wastewater management and pursue sustainability practices.” For him, it was heartening to note that there are still like-minded organizations that are concerned about the environment.
Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Chief Regulator Patrick Lester N. Ty also emphasized the need for different institutions to work together in promoting responsible wastewater management. “I commend Maynilad for pushing this advocacy. It’s imperative that we fix our wastewater problem and clean the environment because this is a shared responsibility.”
Fernandez also expressed his gratitude and congratulated the GKA awardees and nominees, “We hope that you serve as a model for other organizations to also advocate for responsible wastewater management. Know that Maynilad will remain your earnest partner in ensuring sustained protection of our environment for this generation and the next,” he further said.
