Manila Water Foundation (MWF) is the latest partner to throw its support to the Batang Matatag Campaign (BMC), a gut health and hygiene education drive of Erceflora Probiotics (EP) and Save the Children Philippines (SCP).

In an announcement, EP and SCP said the MWF will help the campaign increase access to handwashing stations and water pumps in schools and communities across the country.

“Investing in our children’s gut health and hygiene is investing in our future. The Batang Matatag Campaign calls on all of us to play a part in building a healthier, stronger Philippines where every child has the chance to reach their full potential,” said Rica Mae Mateo from Erceflora Probiotics.

EP and SCP launched the BMC in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2022, reaching out to over 19,477 individuals in communities and schools, training over 1,000 adolescents in essential life skills, and educating 500 residents on child health and nutrition. The campaign achieved a remarkable 100 percent improvement in health levels within the communities it served.

This year, BMC expanded its reach to Rizal province, completing four hygiene promotion sessions and WASH caravans, and 12 nutrition promotion sessions. The campaign provided 2,500 hygiene kits for students, as well as Brigada Eskwela cleaning kits for 126 schools in Rizal and BARMM.

BMC also initiated educating school clinicians and nurses in 68 public schools in Antipolo about the role of probiotics and effective diarrhea management among school children.

Through the campaign, communities benefited from newly constructed water pumps and handwashing stations, ultimately benefiting 65,007 individuals in both provinces.