On 4 August 2026, an agreement was signed in San Jose de Buenavista for the implementation of Slovenia’s first official development assistance project in the Philippines. The signing took place between Mr Dragan Barbutovski, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Slovenia in Manila, and Mayor Paul Joseph Untaran, in the presence of the Governor of Antique Province, Mr Paolo Everardo Javier.
The project provides for the installation of the ROTO RoClean wastewater treatment system at Antique National School, the largest public secondary school in the province, attended by approximately 7,600 students. The system will serve the school’s main building, used by around 1,000 students, and will contribute to reducing environmental pollution caused by the existing use of septic tanks. Based on sequencing batch reactor technology, it is designed to operate reliably in conditions involving severe flooding, typhoon winds and seismic activity. The project also includes WASH workshops for teachers and related capacity-building activities in support of improved sanitation, health and learning conditions.
The project originated from a focused visit by Slovenian water-technology companies to the Philippines in May 2025, undertaken at the initiative of ICPE and in cooperation with the Embassy of Slovenia in Manila and other partners. During the visit, ROTO and Waboost presented their solutions to representatives of Philippine ministries, public institutions, development and financial organizations, utilities and the private sector. The programme also included discussions on the identification of suitable projects responding to locally identified needs.
ICPE welcomes the commencement of the project as a concrete result of the cooperation established during the 2025 mission. The project connects Slovenian expertise in sustainable water management with the development priorities of a local community and supports Slovenia’s development cooperation objectives in the areas of environmental protection, climate resilience and the sustainable management of natural resources.