(Eagle News) — The Israel embassy and a group called “Pass it Forward” donated to the Philippine Red Cross a mobile water purification system that can purify up to 20,000 liters of sea water a day, and 80,000 liters of brackish muddy or contaminated water, turning these into water fit for drinking.
It was tested on waters from the Pasig River, particularly on the Libertad Channel. PRC chairman, Senator Richard Gordon, led the guests and other PRC officials in drinking the water purified by the Israel technology
Gordon accepted the donation that he said could help the Red Cross a lot in providing drinking water, especially in times of calamities or disasters.
Outgoing Israel Ambassador Effie Ben Matityau said that Israel technology to purify water is integrated in the jeep, called GalMobile, which the embassy donated to the Red Cross. The jeep contains an integrated water storage tank with a capacity of 265 gallons to 2,650 gallons and can be deployed in less than 30 minutes by two people. The jeep itself is self-contained, independent and automatic and can run on a mere 12V low voltage system.
“This is a celebration and a culmination of a great moment of long process of partnership with the PRC which is our partner for good many years through the very unique support of Senator Gordon. And we look forward to the continuity and progress that we are going to have in the future, with the upcoming visit of the President to Israel. I think it’s going to be another chapter,” he said.
“This vehicle is really the symbol of Israel’s spirit, ingenuity and innovation. While we are the promised land, and the land of milk of honey, but there is no water. We have to find water solution to become the land of milk and honey. That vehicle represents the unique ingenuity. This is not just for desalination of seawater. It means you are able to purify the highest level of difficulty of purification which is seawater,” the Ambassador added.
The jeep GalMobile invented by Israel is the first of its kind in water purification system, and is a “unique independent, integrated Water purification system” and it caters to remote communities, villages at crises, and emergency situations in Israel.
“This would be very useful for the Philippine Red Cross in providing assistance during disasters because one of the interventions we provide is potable water. The GalMobile can be useful in natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, military use in difficult terrain and rural areas to provide drinkable water. It can deliver potable drinking water from any source, anytime, anywhere,” said Gordon, who is also chairman of the PRC.
PRC said Israel’s technology is a source of envy for many world nations.
Despite not having any groundwater and with a low average annual precipitation, the country not only meets its huge water consumption target but it also exports it to other countries.
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau and Pass It Forward CEO Shmuel Weiss turned over the donation. The ceremony was followed by a demonstration of how the GalMobile works using water from the nearby Libertad Channel, where officials actually drank the water from the river purified by GalMobile.
Ambassador Matityau said that this presented a “unique opportunity to come in and support again the Philippine Red Cross in a very specific challenging area of water security which is probably the most challenging part of any crisis management because whenever you are hit hard, we need water. Without water, we cannot survive.”
“I want to thank Mr. Shmuel Weiss, the founder of Pass It Forward who volunteered, pitched in without hesitation and brought this forward, and celebrate this day. Today we are celebrating this culmination of friendship and goodwill, in the spirit of Israel’s 70th anniversary and 60th anniversary of our diplomatic relations,” he said.
Pass It Forward CEO Shmuel Weiss said that his organization is supporting the Philippine community by “using its vast network and capabilities to support unique development projects in variety of areas based on the sustainable development goals which have been set by the UN.”
“We promote those development projects with the idea of public-private philanthropy partnership. This is all about the name of Pass It Forward. We do not like to donate just to give something away. We’d like to engage the community and getting them involved in the life cycle of the economy. This is the most important thing,” Weiss said.
“With the support of the Ambassador and the number of meetings with Senator Gordon, the very important symbol is the water purification and desalination system because really, you can provide positive impact in distressed areas or emergency cases,” he said.
Gordon said he has been an advocate for sustaining the robust bilateral ties and strategic relationship between Israel and the Philippines. He filed a resolution recently to express the sense of the Senate to fully promote, support and enhance the Philippines-Israel relations by establishing a parliamentary friendship association between the two countries.
Israel is a developed country, known for its high-technology designs and manufactures, and is considered as the start-up nation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even announced that it aspires to be the world’s fifteenth (15th) largest economy by 2025. Israel’s diverse market economy which includes agricultural, service, tourism, high-technology, textiles, and diamond sectors will support the Philippines’ fast-growing economy.
(Eagle News Service)
