Tubungan becomes first Iloilo town with toilets in all homes

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY – All households in Tubungan’s 48 barangays now have proper toilet facilities, making the municipality the first in Iloilo to achieve Grade 2 (G2) Basic Sanitation Status.

The achievement was recognized during the Biyaheng G2 Para sa Limpyo Iloilo Summit 2026 on Aug. 20.

The event brought together local government units and sanitation workers to promote proper sanitation practices across the province.

Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) Chief Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon said Tubungan was certified under the Department of Health’s Philippine Approach to Sustainable Sanitation (PhATSS) after meeting the requirements for G2 Basic Sanitation Status.

PhATSS is the national framework the Department of Health uses to grade communities on sanitation coverage, moving them from the elimination of open defecation toward sustained access to sanitary toilets and maintained public facilities.

Under G2 status, communities must meet three requirements: no open defecation, a toilet for every household, and properly maintained sanitation facilities in public places such as schools, markets, churches, and barangay halls.

Quiñon said 103 of Iloilo’s 1,721 barangays have achieved G2 certification so far.

The other certified barangays are in the towns of Badiangan, Tigbauan, Banate, Mina, Bingawan, Oton, Concepcion, Leganes, Lambunao, San Dionisio, and San Enrique, and in Passi City.

“Even though the processes they went through were tedious and difficult, they were able to pass,” Quiñon said.

The summit also recognized 26 sanitation inspectors for their work in communities that achieved G2 Basic Sanitation Status under PhATSS.

Dr. Rodney Labis of the IPHO said the provincial government aims for all municipalities in Iloilo to achieve G2 certification by 2028.

To help meet the target, the provincial government allocates PHP 5 million a year for toilet bowls and construction materials for households that still lack proper sanitation facilities.

The Biyaheng G2 Para sa Limpyo Iloilo Summit 2026 forms part of the provincial government’s efforts to expand access to sanitation facilities and promote healthier communities across Iloilo.