Toka Toka is an environmental movement launched
in 2012 by Manila Water in partnership with Asian
Development Bank and ABS-CBN. Toka Toka is the first environmental
movement in the country that advocates proper management of wastewater or used
water in every household as a way to revive the rivers. The advocacy aims to encourage
people and communities to four ownable acts:
1) Encouraging solid waste management and segregation
2) desludging of
household septic tank every five years
3) connecting all households to a
proper sewer line
4) educating the community on proper wastewater
management and the environment
Toka Toka believes that if every individual and
institution in each household or sector would embrace their share or toka, there is hope that our waterways and rivers
could be free from pollution (MWC, n.d.).
Toka Toka recognizes that children as part of the
family and key to the future have key roles to play to protect the rivers. In 2014,
Toka Toka launched Bawat Patak
Tumatatak Goes to School Program which is targeted to educate and engage
children as environmental partners and superheroes by going around schools
within the East Zone of Manila. Bawat
Patak Tumatatak Goes to School Program involves several interactive
learning activities such as storytelling, puppet show and games that teach
about water and used water education and solid waste management.
Bawat Patak Tumatatak Goes to
School employs the information-education-communication
(IEC) approach and uses traditional
media such as storytelling, puppet shows and games all delivered in the
Filipino language. Manila Water embarked on this program
because the company wanted to provide an effective communication tool that will
enable children as stakeholders to better understand and appreciate proper management of wastewater or used water in every household as a way to revive
the rivers. The programs seems to be the pioneer in
advocating this ideal among the students. To realize the objective, new concept
was partnered with traditional means.
New concepts about waste water, sewer lines, and solid waste management
are promoted through means that are familiar and appealing for its target
audience. The content was delivered in
ways specifically designed to keep the students engaged. Creative stories are
always interesting for children. The use of colorful visuals such as puppets
and posters keep the children’s attention. By asking students to pledge as
super heroes of the environment, they are given active roles in the movement.
The designed games increase children’s enthusiasm and provide them a hands-on
experience. Bawat Patak Tumatatak Goes to School offers a learning experience
for the kids that is both educational and fun. With this, the program can be
assessed as capable of being effective in communicating and planting seeds of
awareness and interest among the student participants. Engaging the students now is a step towards
sustainable development as these students will have major roles to play in the
next decade or two. Inculcating the
value of waste water management in their young age now will help raise a future
community that is more engaged and willing to act on their parts for the
protection of the waterways and rivers.
For more information about the Toka Toka campaign, visit http://www.manilawater.com/Pages/TokaToka.aspx
References:
Manila Water. (n.d.). Toka Toka. Retrieved from http://www.manilawater.com/Pages/TokaToka.aspx