When sewers work

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The recent inauguration of the Aglipay Sewage Treatment Plant in Mandaluyong, attended by no less than President Marcos himself, drew attention to sanitation, an issue most Filipinos notice only when something goes wrong. Sewers do not attract attention when they work. They remain underground, unnoticed and easily taken for granted, until flooding, foul odor, or health warnings force them into public view.

Part of the reason we rarely talk about sanitation-related infrastructure anymore is fatigue. Years of delayed projects, half-finished roads, and public works that seem to stretch on indefinitely have made many Filipinos understandably skeptical. We have grown used to ribbon cuttings that lead nowhere, timelines that keep moving, and promises that never quite materialize.

Against that backdrop, completion itself has become noteworthy.

In September of last year alone, Manila Water added more than 43,000 new sewer connections, bringing total coverage in the East Zone to over 360,000 connections. Those figures may sound technical, but they represent something the public rarely sees these days: projects that move from being just a plan to execution to operation. Not proposals, not extensions, but actual connections that change how wastewater is managed on the ground.

A functioning sewer system changes behavior precisely because it works. When wastewater is properly collected and treated, communities rely less on aging septic tanks that overflow during heavy rains. It reduces the temptation to cut corners: illegal discharge, makeshift drainage, or simply ignoring desludging schedules. Sanitation, in this sense, becomes a shared discipline, not just a utility people pay for and forget.

This shift is supported by infrastructure that now exists where it once did not. In Mandaluyong, the Aglipay Sewage Treatment Plant is already intercepting wastewater from densely populated and commercially active areas before it reaches the Pasig River. In Antipolo, the Hinulugang Taktak Sewage Treatment Plant, which was formally inaugurated in November, stands near a national park long burdened by pollution pressures. Treating up to 16 million liters of wastewater daily, the facility protects not only the falls but the wider Upper Marikina River Basin.

What distinguishes these projects is not scale alone, but continuity. Beyond new plants, the less visible work continues. In September 2025, more than 11,000 septic tanks were desludged across the East Zone, including requests outside regular schedules. This kind of operational consistency is what separates infrastructure that merely exists from systems that actually function.

There is also the question of trust. Public confidence in environmental rehabilitation has been fragile, eroded by years of unmet expectations. By November 2025, all 28 wastewater treatment facilities operated by Manila Water were fully compliant with government effluent standards, surpassing regulatory targets. Treated wastewater met Class C standards – technical language, perhaps, but also a concrete measure of accountability.

Sanitation deserves to be part of everyday civic conversation, not just technical reports or crisis moments. Clean waterways do not result from one-off announcements. They come from systems that are built, completed, and maintained consistently.

When sewers work, cities breathe easier. Streets flood less dangerously, rivers recover more steadily, and communities become less vulnerable to the consequences of neglect. These changes rarely make headlines. But in a country long frustrated by projects that never seem to end, work that is finished, and works, quietly matters.

A notable response

In an era where public judgment is swift and unforgiving, corporate responsibility is no longer a single decision, but a dynamic story told in two acts. The recent voluntary recall of select infant formula batches by Nestlé Philippines illustrates this perfectly: first came the leadership decision, then came the complex human reaction.

The global alert was swift. Nestlé’s internal quality systems were the first to identify a potential quality deviation in an ingredient supplied by a global vendor, doing so weeks before others. In line with its commitment to industry-wide safety, Nestlé immediately notified the supplier and proactively notified regulators and the broader industry. Assessments began across the global sector and the discovery triggered a precautionary alert to affiliates worldwide.

Nestlé Philippines chose to lead by transforming that internal warning into public, protective action. It announced a voluntary recall, a decision taken in full cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration, to ensure a unified approach to public safety.

It announced that, as a precautionary measure, the company is voluntarily recalling limited batches out of an abundance of caution, in line with its strict product quality and safety protocols.

The recall was a move of principle and public accountability. The intention was to proactively protect trust, a decision made more challenging by being the first to step forward in a shared supply chain. Yet almost immediately, the reaction unfolded on a different stage – social media. The feedback extended beyond operational hurdles; it echoed the deep concern of parents who, upon hearing terms like “potential issue” or “quality concern,” understandably worried about their child’s well-being. Parents, concerned and seeking answers, faced delays as call volumes and digital inquiries overwhelmed systems that were not ready for the surge.

Herein lies the modern reality: leadership in safety and the management of public sentiment operate on separate timelines. A global safety system built for decisive action can trigger a localized communication crisis that demands an immediate, empathetic response.

However, the true measure of responsibility is not in avoiding this tension, but in responding to it. Nestlé did not retreat behind its initial decision. It acknowledged the service delays publicly and launched a transparent ramp-up of customer service operations. Within days, additional teams, extended hours, and enhanced response protocols were deployed to meet the public where they were – anxious and expecting answers.

This episode reveals a crucial lesson in modern corporate stewardship. First, that true safety leadership means acting first and acting alone if necessary, especially when others might hesitate. Second, that trust is built in two phases: the phase of decisive, transparent action and the phase of human response. Overlooking the second can obscure the integrity of the first.

Finally, it shows that responsibility is a live process. It starts with a global commitment to safety, is stress-tested in the local court of public opinion, and is validated by the agility to adapt in real time. It is also a process that can elevate industry standards. And it is reassuring to see broader industry action follow the path of precaution initiated by Nestlé.

Nestlé’s journey – from a principled, first-to-act recall initiated by global vigilance, through a wave of public frustration, to a mobilized local service recovery – proves that doing right is not a checkpoint. It is a continuous commitment to align global standards with local accountability, even when the path is uncharted and the response is loud. Shelves can be emptied overnight, but trust is restocked only through transparency and action, especially when you’re the first to step forward.

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