Of drinking water and public spaces.
By Joel Ruiz Butuyan for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
One of the rewards of traveling abroad is that it equips us with a rearview mirror to look at our country in comparison with what we see and experience in advanced societies. Previously, I’ve written about the extensive train network in Germany as one of the enviable features that I wish the Philippines would aspire to have, even if slowly and gradually.
Another feature of developed countries that I wish our country had is the quality of their tap water. Faucet water in almost all European countries is safe to drink, and in several countries, it is even of higher quality compared to commercially sold bottled water. When one asks for service water in restaurants, the waiters will get the water directly from their faucet. Students fill up their water canisters from their school’s water faucets.
