In May 1999, Mr. Jose Pondan's children were having persistent stomachaches, and his expenditures for medicine were going up. At first, his wife suggested boiling water to make sure it was safe for drinking, but this resulted in having to buy expensive fuel twice as often. It was then that he started carrying two gallons of water from the Aqua Sure (one of WaterHealth's brands in the Philippines) Water Store in Manila to his home—32 kilometers away.

Since he started purchasing water from the Aqua Sure Water Store, there hasn't been a single tummy ache in his family, and he hasn’t bought a single dose of medicine. What's more, Mr. Pondon joined the Aqua Sure Water Store, distributing UV Waterworks treated water in the Philippines.

"It makes me happy giving people, especially parents, the opportunity to give themselves and, more importantly, their children, the chance to drink clean, affordable, truly safe water," he says.

Over 50 WaterHealth Philippines and Aqua Sure Water Store franchises offer affordable, clean water to the urban poor, with enough installed capacity to serve more than 100,000 people. These franchises also provide livelihood and investment opportunities for local entrepreneurs.