Based on the 2017 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey, the PSA said 4 in 10 families, or 38.6 percent of households, have their drinking water obtained from water-refilling stations.
The PSA added that only 2 in 10 families (20.3 percent) have their drinking water piped into their dwelling, while 12 percent obtained their drinking water from tube wells or boreholes.
“Results show that there are some families who are unable to access sufficient quantities of drinking water either because it is not available from source [5.7 percent], water is too expensive [1.4 percent], or water source is not accessible [1.1 percent],” the PSA said.
For the poorest, their most common potable water sources are water-refilling stations at 17.6 percent of households; tube wells/boreholes, 17.2 percent; piped into their dwellings, 12.3 percent; and, piped into yards/plots, 10.2 percent.
For the upper 70 percent, water- refilling stations are their primary source with 47.5 percent households getting potable water from these establishments; piped into their dwellings, 23.7 percent; and 9.8 percent obtaining water from tube wells/boreholes.
Meanwhile, almost all, or 95 percent of Filipino families, have improved sources of drinking water.
Improved water resource classifications are being used in the Updates and Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) Baselines for 2017.
Improved source, however, is different from safe source.
The SDGs or Global Goals is a set of 17 socioeconomic goals that 193 United Nation member-countries like the Philippines committed to meet by 2030.
The goals are composed of around 169 targets and over 300 global indicators.