Oro Inodoro Awards put the spotlight on the Philippines’ finest public restrooms

Oro Inodoro Awards look beyond aesthetics, citing well-designed public restrooms that are clean, convenient, and manage their wastewater well.

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The Oro Inodoro Awards, an annual campaign recognizing the best public restrooms in the country, is back to provide organizations and establishments a chance to show off their excellence in maintaining clean, efficient, and environment-friendly facilities.

Backed by Maynilad Water Services, Inc., the Oro Inodoro Awards emphasize the importance of convenient access to comfort rooms, as a good public restroom means ginhawa for Filipinos. The yearly awards also underscore how best practices in restroom design and maintenance contribute to the bigger picture of protecting community health and saving our water resources.  

The Oro Inodoro Awards go beyond mere aesthetics in selecting winners, focusing on responsible wastewater management, which underscores the benefit of the proper collection and treatment of used water and other eco-friendly practices. The criteria also takes into account cleanliness and how well the space is maintained hygienically alongside visual appeal, comfort, and accessibility. 

Three key categories make up this year’s edition of the awards, namely 1) Commercial and Retail, 2) Offices and Schools, and 3) Parks and Terminals. The overall winning establishment will bring home P30,000, while the best restrooms per category will win P10,000 each. Only public restrooms in Maynilad’s service area are eligible for the three main categories.

Two national awards will also be given to deserving public restrooms anywhere in the Philippines. These special trophies are Banyo ng Bayan and Banyo Para Sa Lahat. The former is the people’s choice award measured through social media likes, while the latter is judged based on features that make the restroom more inclusive and accessible to marginalized groups such as differently-abled persons, various gender expressions, and parents who need childcare equipment like diaper changing stations. Winners of the national awards will also get P10,000 each.

Formerly called Golden Kubeta Awards, the Oro Inodoro Awards have been providing distinction to the best public restrooms since 2016, knowing that toilets do not only provide a vital role in meeting daily needs but also elevate the quality of service an establishment provides to its patrons.

“Access to a clean restroom is a public good, and at its core are proper wastewater management and environmental care and responsibility,” said Marie Antonette De Ocampo, SAVP and Head of Maynilad’s Corporate Affairs and Communication. “Through Oro Inodoro Awards, we hope to encourage creativity and invigorate establishments who put in the effort to better serve the public through well-designed restrooms.”

Nominations for the contest are done online through the Kubeta PH Facebook page. All Facebook users may nominate entries by commenting on the official Facebook post the photo of the establishment’s restroom. Nominees must identify the restroom’s location, why it deserves to win, and use the hashtag #KubetaPH #OroInodoroAwards. 

Nominations are open until October 6.