A collapsible toilet bowl is among the groundbreaking technologies built especially for disaster risk reduction and management.

The collapsible comfort box is one of the innovative disaster risk reduction solutions presented to the public during the opening of the “Handa Pilipinas: Innovations in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Exposition 2023" of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in its Visayas leg. 

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. opened the expo in Tacloban City, Leyte on the 10th year commemoration of the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda on November 8, 2023.

According to DOST, the collapsible toilet bowl for emergency disaster operations is made of corrugated fiberboard sheets that can withstand a maximum weight of 300 kilograms at normal conditions. 

The collapsible toilet is intended to provide immediate sanitation system in a disaster-stricken areas in the first 48 hours after the onset of a calamity. 

“The government remains committed to advancing our country’s disaster resilience, and of course, we must recognize the role of the Department of Science and Technology in this undertaking,” the President said in his speech during the ST Yolanda commemoration.

DOST Secretary Renato Solidum, Jr. emphasized the importance of collaboration despite diversity in building the country’s resiliency. 

"We all make science work through our collaboration and cooperation. And we remember Super Typhoon Yolanda by recognizing our important role in the resilience agenda. This is why collaboration is the heart and soul of Handa Pilipinas,” Solidum stated.