Clean Water Act becomes law in The Philippines
Landmark new legislation in The Philippines will contribute to the country's commitment "to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation." Quezon City, The Philippines - WWF-Philippines welcomes today's signing of the Clean Water Act into law by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, as part of as national celebrations for World Water Day. This landmark legislation contributes to the fulfillment of Philippine commitments to the UN Millenium Development Goals, i.e. "to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation." Access to safe water, especially by the poor, is a major prerequisite for sustainable development. Currently, more than one billion people lack access to safe drinking water and more than two billion lack sanitation. Each year, 250 million cases of water-related diseases lead to over 2 million deaths. In dev