Philippine E-Journals

Impact of Biosand Filter on Access to Safe Drinking Water in the Rural Communities of the Philippines

Marlon B. Sepe | Joel N. Sagadal | Rudy D. Lange | Jobert C. Porras

Discipline: Health

 

Abstract:

The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of Biosand Filter (BSF) on access to safe drinking water in the poor communities of the Philippine regions. Specifically, this endeavor aimed to describe the efficacy of the BSF as water system in the household and also as a bio-innovative technology for poverty alleviation. It also intended to reveal the effectiveness of household (HH) BSF in terms of the defined characteristics of the model as mechanism on access to safe drinking water. The study utilized the quasi-experimental design, which integrates quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were analyzed using econometric methods while the qualitative data used some statistical tools to control patterns, characteristics, and conditions of various study variables to eliminate alternative explanations of the observed outcomes. By contingent valuation method, the efficiency of BSF as a system to eliminate total coliform is high at 92.22%. Iron, Copper and Lead were 100.00% eliminated as well. More than 75.00% of Manganese, more than 54.90% of Zinc and more than 83.33% of Arsenic were filtered by the BSF. Clearness of effluent water improved by more than 58.19% and potential hydrogen (pH) improved by more than 13.22%. Cost-Benefit analysis revealed that BSF alleviates poverty 21.80 folds that of the cost of the filter. Around 79.26 percent of the rural poor HHs was satisfied with the functions of the model in their respective homes according to the over-all evaluation criteria for the effectiveness of BSF. The social dynamics of BSF to the HH is dependent upon three essential variables namely, the willingness of the HH to pay for the productivity cost of the filter, the social acceptance on the use of technology, and the social cultural adaptation of the HH on Biosand Filters.