The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI), in partnership with the Cebu City local government unit and Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD), is spearheading a handwashing campaign dubbed #HUNAW as an intervention to fight the severity of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
As the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines increases every day, Cebu City has been placed under community quarantine effective March 16th as a preemptive measure to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises that the two most basic ways to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus, which is mainly transmitted from person to person, are maintaining social distance and proper handwashing.
This means that transportation hubs and other places where frontliners and people who go out to buy essentials converge may be particularly susceptible to transmission of the virus. Unfortunately, many of these venues lack adequate handwashing facilities.
Thus, with the #HUNAW campaign, RAFI aims to provide such facilities and raise awareness of the importance of proper handwashing through deployment of portable sinks called “Hunawan Stations” at bus terminals, parking lots, jeepney stops, and other places where people convene around the city.
Another area of concern is densely populated informal settlements, so #HUNAW will also be deploying a roving “Hunawan Truck” with a sink facility and loudspeakers to the city’s underserved areas.
A prototype Hunawan Station is currently installed outside the RAFI building in Brgy. Tinago for a trial run. The #HUNAW campaign is set for an initial run of one month starting on March 26th, with the support of People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) and Cebu General Services Inc.
RAFI continues to conduct further site assessments to identify additional areas to set up Hunawan Stations and deploy the Hunawan Truck. The Foundation is also looking for partners—organizations and individuals—to help further amplify the campaign to combat the spread of COVID-19.
If you wish to join us in taking the situation by the hand, please scan the QR code on the picture.
You may also e-mail us at kenyashi.uang@rafi.ph.
TOUCHING PEOPLE, SHAPING THE FUTURE. RAFI is a non-government non-profit organization, since 1966, whose mission is to elevate lives by championing best practices in community development in the Philippines.
