YES, IT seems that toilets — more commonly referred to in this country as “CR” (short for Comfort Room) — have never been given the importance they deserve by many Filipinos. This became the subject of our latest coffee table conversation when one of our regulars arrived in a foul mood after visiting a food establishment.
The food, he said, was excellent, but the toilet was something you’d expect from a dingy carinderia.
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“Oh, I was so irritated,” the banker began angrily. “After enjoying a good lunch, I went to pee and guess what I saw? A toilet that clearly wasn’t sanitized. It completely ruined the experience. You see, a toilet is part of the overall appeal of any destination. And that resto? Total turn-off.”
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“You know what?” the engineer chimed in while sipping his black coffee. “I’m no longer surprised. Is it part of Filipino culture to ignore toilet cleanliness and maintenance? Nobody takes responsibility for keeping toilets clean. And why call it a Comfort Room? Where’s the comfort in there?”
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“I totally agree,” added the resto owner. “Sometimes, I just pee on the roadside before getting into my car. It’s really a nightmare when a toilet is dirty or substandard. And don’t get me started on those awful ‘buhos’ toilets — where customers have to pour water manually into the bowl. Yuck! I can’t believe we still have that in this day and age.”
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“In our restaurant, we make it a point to employ a dedicated staff member whose sole job is to keep the toilets clean,” the resto owner continued. “Sanitized toilet bowls and urinals are part of our brand. People keep coming back because we’re known in the community for having spotless restrooms.”
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“And what pisses me off is that the government doesn’t enforce any standards for toilet cleanliness,” said the engineer. “You finish eating, then you’re the one who has to flush your own pee using a pail of water? What kind of system is that?”
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“City Health Offices under the LGUs (local government units) are supposed to implement sanitation rules for public-use toilets — restaurants, carinderias, buildings, you name it,” said the banker. “They should be banning these outdated buhos-type toilets. But do they care? Nope. As long as the establishment pays the permit fee, they let it slide.”
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“That’s a big turn-off when we talk about promoting tourism in this country,” the engineer added, shaking his head. “Look at Singapore or even Vietnam. They have clean public toilets. Singapore is fantastic. Meanwhile, the Philippines is ‘boombastic’ — but only when it comes to dirty CRs.”
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“Oh, I was so impressed with a restaurant in Ayala, Bacolod called Modern Shang,” said the golfer in our circle. “The toilet was super clean and elegant. A janitress told me it’s her task to clean the toilet after every single customer. I told her, ‘Sana all.’”
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Indeed, it’s the responsibility of our LGUs to enforce sanitation standards and promote a culture of hygiene, starting with something as basic yet essential as maintaining clean public toilets. Sadly, Filipinos continue to show a gross disregard for toilet cleanliness — and it’s a major turn-off for travelers.
When will we finally learn the importance of a Clean Toilet Pilipinas?/PN
