Operation and Maintenance Financing for School WASH Facilities in the Philippines

This is a case study on the financing for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of school WASH facilities in the Philippines, based on a review of documents, key informant interviews and visits to 20 government elementary schools, 10 in urban areas of Caloocan City of Metro Manila, and 10 in the rural areas of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato.

In the Philippines, the Department of Education and local government play significant roles in WASH in schools. Schools receive significant funding for operation and management from national and local government, as well as contributions from private organizations. Despite a favorable resource and policy environment for school WASH, the Department of Education policy on school WASH does not provide specific guidelines on how much funding must be used for daily operation and maintenance. Per findings from the school visits, few schools had soap, and the water supply in rural Lake Sebu was not functional. There were issues with cleanliness and functionality of school toilets in both urban and rural sites.