However, Israel Ambassador Effie Ben Matityau drank water from Pasig River to guarantee that it is safe—after the water passed through an Israeli-made mobile water filtration system.
Matityau urged members of the media to drink the same water—which they did without ill effects on them.
Since its foundation in 1948, Israel has placed great emphasis on maximizing its water supply, turning much of its arid land into fertile agricultural soil, “making the desert bloom.”
Today, the Israeli water industry is recognized as a global leader in the industry, thanks to breakthrough technological innovations in areas such as desalination, drip irrigation and water security.
The areas of expertise of Israeli companies in the water arena include: management, agriculture, treatment; desalination; safety and security; information technology and communications.
“The immediate problem in many areas in the Philippines is where to get potable water for the residents following a flood or typhoon,” he said.
“This is the solution,” Matityau added, showing the photograph of a small jeep, called GalMobile, that carries a water filtration system.
The GalMobile—which is not for sale—can purify up to 20,000 liters of sea water a day and 80,000 liters of brackish, muddy or contaminated river water. The filtered water has been tested and found to conform to World Health Organization standards.
“It is a unique independent, integrated water purification system and it could be transported to remote communities, villages devastated by calamities, or anywhere that drinkable water is not available so long as there is a nearby lake, canal, dam or sea [which it can filter],” Matityau said.
One unit of the mobile system was donated to the Philippine National Red Cross and another unit is destined to the Visayas.
“It can deliver potable drinking water from any source, anytime, anywhere,” Matityau said.
The jeep, which runs on 12 volts low-voltage system, is mobile, self-contained, independent and automatic. It 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.
Israel’s technology is a source of envy across the world because even in the seeming absence of copious amount of water—as one could imagine for a desert-like environment where Israel is located—the tiny country is able to raise fruits and vegetables in large quantities for export to European nations.
It has also excelled in animal husbandry, being able to raise cattle that produce large amounts of milk, and which technology it shares with the Philippines, a long-time friend.
“Israel is currently training 600 Filipino students for one year to learn agriculture and animal husbandry,” he announced.
Israel is among the developed countries, and is known for its high-technology designs and manufacturing. It is considered as a start-up nation.
“Israel started from nothing. The country is a start-up,” Matityau pointed out.
Today, Israel, a country with a population of just 9 million people, continues to produce an impressive number of highly successful technology companies.
Multinational technology companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft all have research centers in Israel. Some of the local companies are specializing in drones, cybersecurity and autonomous driving technology.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced that it aspires to be the world’s 15th-largest economy by 2025. The country is ranked 16th in the 2017-2018 World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report.
Matityau said Israel’s diverse market economy—which includes agricultural, service, tourism, high technology, textiles and diamond sectors—continues to support the Philippines’s fast-growing economy.
The envoy also announced that he is winding up his tour of duty in the Philippines.
During his four-year stint, the embassy’s main efforts focused on tourism, innovation hi-tech, agriculture and food security, emergency preparedness and humanitarian action.
The ambassador, together with the Commission on Higher Education and state universities and colleagues (SUCs) participating in the Agrostudies Program, initiated the “Lighthouse Projects,” a demonstration of agriculture farms and units that will engage collaboration among universities, LGUs, business sector and student-returnees from the Agrostudies Program.
Before leaving for retirement, he will inaugurate two Lightouse Projects that will highlight technology in education in Davao City and urban farming in Taguig City.
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano’s bailiwick of Taguig City will showcase urban farming, focusing on hydro/aquaponics vertical growth on the rooftop of Taguig City University. It will be turned into a training and extension center for the project.
“These projects are carried out through the generous contribution of Pass It Forward Foundation as part of its development fund,” Matityau said. He added: “The foundation was organized by Israeli nationals, which has a global network and business centers, including one in the Philippines.”
To promote tourism exchange, Matityau initiated the visit of Israel’s Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin in September 2015, which led to the signing of a special agreement on tourism promotion.
Israel’s Ministry of Tourism data showed that around 23,5000 Filipinos traveled to Israel in 2017, up 61 percent from 14,600 in 2016. For the first half of this year, around 11,7000 Filipinos visited Israel, up 30 percent from 9,000 during a comparable period in 2017.
The Philippines and Israel being complementary economies, Matityau initiated a partnership with the Department of Science and Technology, and with start-up acceleration, such as IdeaSpace Foundation and Kickstart Ventures, in conducting joint competition where winning start-up founders participate in Tel Aviv’s annual competition.