I was invited to cover the Domex launch for one million clean toilets movement joined by multi-sector partnerships of Unilever, with UNICEF, the Philippine Public Health Association, the City of Manila and Pilipinas Shell. The campaign aims to encourage a culture of cleanliness by increasing the public’s awareness on the importance of maintaining proper toilet sanitation through a series of year-long cleaning and education initiatives. 

In celebration of the World Toilet Day this November, UNICEF and Domex has once again partnered to promote public awareness of the proper toilet sanitation and public restroom clean-up program since last year. Domex, being the number one germ-killer brand from Unilever will be part of the expansion as it will deputize Germ Busters through a series of training activities on the proper servicing of restrooms covering City Service employees, NLEX and SLEX Shell gas station service personnel, and selected school and hospital sanitation staff. Thus, promoting nationwide initiative for better bathroom sanitation. 

During the said launch, I've also learned that, there are about 2 million bacteria per inch that can be found in a bathroom and yet over 90% of local households are unaware of proper toilet hygiene and sanitation practices. Can you imagine that? So creepy right? Imagine the accumulated minutes that we spend inside our own bathrooms daily, not to mention the public toilets that we also get into huh! And according to UNICEF, diarrhea is the third leading cause of child illness and fourth leading cause of death of children under five years old.

Domex brand manager Dennis Chua shared, “Good hygiene practices are learned at home, and what every household must understand is that proper sanitation is a necessity, not a luxury.” He also added that, “Using common cleaning products such as detergents and bleach may result in clean surfaces, but without germ-killing agents, they cannot provide total disinfection. Regular use of a specialized cleaning product can significantly decrease levels of virus contamination, and minimize the contraction of illnesses like influenza, diarrhea, and hepatitis." 

If you think that you are learning and gaining a lot of useful info from the Domex launch of 1M Clean Toilets Movement, oh well, to tell you honestly, I, myself did enjoy and had acquired various tips from the speakers and the whole event itself. but wait, here's more! I wouldn't let you finish reading my article without me, sharing what I've learned about the proper steps in cleaning our toilets, amazing readers. :))

1. Wear proper protective gear like rubber gloves and mask.

2. Use Domex Toilet Bowl Cleaner and directly squeeze nozzle under toilet rim in a circular motion.

3. Allow at least 5 minutes for the product to cover the entire toilet bowl and effectively kill the germs.

4. Use a brush and scrub the toilet bowl surface from top to bottom.

5. Flush the toilet to rinse. But be sure to put down the toilet cover before flushing. 

6. Prepare a separate solution of thick bleach in a pail of water to clean other toilet surfaces.

And those are the right and very well sanitized ways of cleaning our toilets. We should regularly do that using Specialized Toilet Cleaner like Domex Toilet Bowl Cleaner instead of soap, detergents and the bleach. 

Specialized toilet cleaners with anti-bacterial agents, are effective in destroying all known germs and viruses. Soap and detergents only lifts up soils and dirt and rinse them away with water without destroying them. Thin bleach is easily washed away after the first flush and doesn't get enough coverage without the spout. 

Vice Mayor Isko Moreno giving his speech during the Domex 1M Clean Toilets Movement launch

The local government of Manila is very proud and privileged to be part of this campaign and according to Manila's Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, they're so thankful to Unilever Philippines for having this kind of advocacy partnered with UNICEF promoting better public awareness of proper toilet cleaning habits that really start at home. This itself could help the Filipino citizens eliminate the cause of various illnesses and bacteria-related diseases which as a result, would also eventually decrease the quantity of patients that would be consulting from their physicians and be confined as well to the government hospitals. 

It was so refreshing to know also that, being there at the said campaign launch, I was able to partake in their advocacy by simply liking Domex Philippines Facebook page and clicking Domex 1M Clean Toilets Movement App. 

Let us help, support, join and pledge now! 

The bar for success has been set high: to collect a total of one million pledges from private households to conscientiously maintain their own clean, safe, and hygienic bathrooms by the next World Toilet Day in November 2014.

Here's another great news! Individuals who will pledge to support the One Million Clean Toilets Movement via the Domex Philippines FB Page (facebook.com/DomexPhilippines) will also help grow a global fund to help improve access to basic sanitation in areas of need all over the world as Domex will donate P5 to UNICEF’s Sanitation Program for every pledge received.

Celebrity/ Host Dimples Romana placed her pledge too!

And now, the challenge would be... is it possible that we'd be "Saving Lives, One Toilet at a Time?"

The answer lies within us. And I firmly believe, that we could all do this! We know how the power of the Filipinos work, right? We always standout amidst trials, troubles, calamities and everything. 

So click away all your pledges now! We could reach the 1M Clean Toilets to support the 

World Toilet Day! 

Billion Better Lives

As part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP), the One Million Clean Toilets Movement strengthens Unilever’s “Billion Better Lives” campaign by helping 1 billion people to improve their health and well-being by 2020. The plan, launched globally in 2010, will result in three significant outcomes by 2020- allowing us to source 100% of our agricultural raw materials sustainably, halve the environmental footprint of our products, and help more than a billion people improve their health and well-being, or the Billion Better Lives campaign. The USLP inspires people to take small everyday actions that can add up to a big difference for the world. 

I've been supporting United Nations World Food Programme's (WFP) advocacy towards hunger. I give my highest regards to this international arm that supports and motivates big companies such as Unilever who had been a corporate partner with WFP since 2006 globally.

It has been known that Unilever has contributed to WFP and its fight against hunger in the Philippines since 2008, through the global event "Walk the World," organised in collaboration with TNT Express and DSM to raise funds and awarenesss for WFP's work. The said event has generated over Php13.8 million to fund school meals in the Philippines and Unilever has also subsequently donated a total of US$18.7 million to support WFP's advocacy around the world.

This time, in celebration of the World Food Day, Unilever Philippines has again renewed its commitment to help improve the health and well-being of Filipino children by donating Php6 million to support the United Nations WFP school feeding programme in remote and conflict-affected areas of Central Mindanao.

They've been thoroughly working hand in hand in braving the most remote places in Central Mindanao in order to boost the schoolchildren's welfare and that no "malnutrition" in this country would ever exist anymore. By 2020, they will be able to help more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being.


In celebration of the World Food Day, Unilever Philippines' number one food brand, Knorr, turned-over the Php6 million cheque to World Food Programme thereby providing 600,000 hot nutritious meals to 100,000 public elementary school children in the provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Norte. In connection with this, WFP has partnered with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Education (DepEd) in carrying out the programme.


During the said event, WFP Philippines Representative and Country Director, Mr. Stephen Anderson said, "We would like to thank Unilever for its consistent and valuable support to WFP in the Philippines. Over the years, Unilever has mobilized its different brands to come up with innovative and creative ways to help raise awareness of, and mobilize resources for, the fight against hunger- they are true champions of the cause."

On the other hand, Unilever Philippines Foods and Customer Development Director, Mr. Carl Cruz added, "The support that we give to school feeding is just one part of the overall sustainable living plan of Unilever to help improve the nutrition levels of Filipino children and contribute to the Philippines' effort to meet its Millennium Development Goal targets. But we cannot do this alone. We are privileged to have as a global partner such as the World Food Programme to help us in achieving this goal."




About Unilever

Unilever works to create a better future everyday. They help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. They are one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong local roots in more than 100 countries. Consumers buy 170 billion Unilever packs around the world every year, and their products are used over two billion times a day. Their portfolio includes some of the world's best known brands such as Knorr, Lipton, Dove, Sunsilk, Surf and Rexona.

Ambition: To double the size of their business, while reducing their overall environmental impact (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal). They are also committed to doing what they can to improve health, nutrition and hygiene, with goals to help more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, as well as to source all their agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020. Supporting their three big goals are more than 50 time-based targets in the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan.