Domex and Knowledge Channel Foundation team up to advocate cleanliness at home and in school

Many of us know that it’s important to practice good hygiene and keep our surroundings clean and sanitized. However, there are still many people out there who are unable to do so due to a lack of access to secure and sustainable sanitation. In the 2023 Sustainable Development Goals Report released by the United Nations, it was stated that as of 2022, 3.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services. 

With that in mind, the World Toilet Organization established World Toilet Day in 2001 to inspire others to take action and address the global sanitation crisis. The United Nations made World Toilet Day an official observance day in 2013 and it is celebrated on November 19 every year.

This year, Unilever Domex celebrated World Toilet Day with legacy non-profit organization Knowledge Channel Foundation (KCF). Domex and KCF teamed up to launch an educational program to teach students proper hygiene and sanitation to stay healthy. The event was held at Ciriaco P. Tinga Elementary School (CPTES) in Taguig City.

Domex and KCF invited speakers to the program to discuss World Toilet Day, how kids can practice proper hygiene and sanitation, and how Domex can help make homes clean and safe places for families. They also had fun activities planned for the students so that they can have fun while learning about good hygiene and cleanliness.

The program started with a speech from Reynilda Doriga-Bunyi, the OIC of CPTES. Doriga-Bunyi discussed the importance of proper hygiene and sanitation and how proper handwashing can help prevent and protect from disease. In her speech, she mentioned that CPTES is committed to doing its part for World Toilet Day. The school has access to clean water and encourages its students to make hygiene a top priority by teaching them proper handwashing.

After Doriga-Bunyi’s speech, Rina Lopez, President and Executive Director of Knowledge Channel Foundation, introduced a new educational film that KCF made in partnership with Unilever Domex to be shared in schools in Taguig Pateros (TaPat schools).

The short educational film showed kids playing tumbang preso at their school. While the kids were playing, the animated feature showed that there were germs gathering on the kids’ hands now that they were dirty from playing outside. 

When the kids finished playing, the girl Lexi said that she had to use the restroom. However, when she went to the restroom, she noticed that the toilet was dirty. She decided that she’d just put off going to the restroom and pee in their bathroom at home. 

When she and her brother David got home, their mother scolded her for holding in her pee again. At that moment, a man in a superhero suit arrived at their door. The man was Kuya Dom, and he told them that he was there to help them keep their house and surroundings clean. He told them that the bathroom was the dirtiest part of their house and demonstrated this by showing them the germs and bacteria in their bathroom with a UV germ detector.

Kuya Dom then told them about harmful germs and bacteria, how they can spread, and what they can do to help prevent the germs from spreading. He shared with them four handy tips that can help them keep themselves and their surroundings clean, such as washing their hands properly and keeping their bathrooms clean. The four DOMEX tips he shared were:

Tip 1: D-apat hindi pigilan ang pag-ihi (Don’t put off bathroom breaks)

• Putting off urinating can cause disease and UTI

Tip 2: O-bserbahan ang paghugas ng kamay (Observe proper handwashing)

• Tips on how to properly wash hands and how they should wash their hands often

Tip 3: M-ag flush ng toilet (Make sure to flush your toilet)

• To prevent your bathroom from getting stinky and filthy

Tip 4: EX-sa germs, maglinis ng banyo! (EX to germs, clean your bathroom!)

• With the help of Domex, clean your bathroom and become a Germ Buster

After playing the short film, they moved on to the next speaker, Nurse Christina Ignacio from CPTES. Nurse Ignacio discussed sanitation and stressed the importance of keeping surroundings clean because germs can grow on everyday objects. She also mentioned that schools and classrooms should be kept clean and gave a few tips on how to do so, including proper trash disposal, wiping the tables, and keeping the classrooms and washrooms organized before and after use.

Nurse Ignacio also told the students that it is their responsibility to maintain cleanliness by cleaning regularly. She concluded her speech with a reminder that everyone can be a Germ Buster by practicing proper handwashing, covering their mouths when coughing or sneezing, and throwing trash in their proper receptacles.

After Nurse Christine’s speech, the next talk focused on the parents and their important roles in teaching the kids about cleanliness. Nicole Villavicencio, Domex Brand Manager and Unilever Homecare Digital Lead said in her speech that the students should be thankful to their parents because they became their role models and taught them the importance of cleanliness. She thanked the parents for giving the kids access to a clean home with the help of Domex.

Villavicencio also took time to engage with the kids at the event by telling them about the DOMEX tips. She showed Domex’s new TV commercial at the event, which highlights Domex as the Filipino Household’s Cleaning Partner. Domex kills up to 99.9% of germs* and provides better stain removal versus laundry bleach.

The Domex Brand Manager also talked about The Domex Commitment: “Isulong ang karapatan ng bawat batang Pilipino sa malinis at maayos na banyo para manatiling malusog at ligtas sa mga sakit.”

(Promote the right of every Filipino child to a clean and tidy bathroom to stay healthy and safe from diseases.)

The program ended with a speech from Domex parent influencers, Kryz Uy and Slater Young. The couple talked about how their kids love playing and getting their hands dirty and messy. They believe that playing and getting their hands dirty is good for their kids because they can learn new things as they play. However, they also stressed that while playing is good for them, it’s also important for them to know how to wash their hands properly.

“With the help of Domex, you have to have a partner that can help us clean and sanitize our homes because water is not enough,” Kryz Uy said during her speech with her husband. “We need a really powerful cleaner to maintain the hygiene of our house.”

Slater and Kryz both shared tips for the kids to maintain cleanliness. After playing, it’s important for the kids to always wash their hands before touching anything else and they should always keep their surroundings clean. They mentioned that it’s important to practice good hygiene, cleanliness, and sanitation and that Domex helps them sanitize their home.

After the program, they introduced a new fun and exciting Germbuster boot camp for the kids, where they got to participate in fun activities such as the Domex Ballpit, Army Crawl of Germs, Unstoppable Obstacle, and the POOOF! Germstopper Board.

Unilever Domex and Knowledge Channel Foundation celebrated this year’s World Toilet Day by teaching students proper handwashing and the importance of proper hygiene and sanitation. By educating students, they hope to create a world where everyone has access to clean toilets and remind everyone that sanitation is a right, not a privilege.

If you want to join the movement and do your part to make a safe and clean place for your family, you can check out the new Unilever Domex x KCF educational film on their official websites and socials.

*Based on lab tests on representative germs.

INQUIRER.net BrandRoom/TJV