As part of the 60th-year celebration to make sports more accessible to Filipino children, MILO® Philippines proudly launched the MILO® Safe Swim – Drown Prevention Program this year.
Mounted in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross with whom MILO® shares a goal of drowning prevention awareness, the program provides kids and parents with the foundational skills and techniques to stay safe in and around water. This comes after drowning was found to be a leading cause of death among Filipino children aged 0-14, with an average of 3,200 kids losing their lives annually from a lack of emergency skills and training in the water.
All in all, MILO® and the Philippine Red Cross, through Safe Swim, aim to ultimately encourage water confidence and safety in both parents and kids and to help pave the way in reducing the risk of more drowning incidents in the country.
The first programs were held across Quezon City, Pasig City, and Cavite City with the participation of nearby elementary school kids as they began their journey in water safety with Swimtech, which delivered fundamental swimming instruction.
The swimming segment focused on basic water skills like floating, kicking, and staying calm, all serving as important techniques that form the backbone of drowning prevention. By learning these essentials, children are equipped to respond to situations that may lead to panic or drowning. Each participant gained skills that emphasized staying afloat and moving safely in the water, allowing them to build confidence and feel empowered during water activities.
The program’s second half was led by experts from the Philippine Red Cross, who introduced children to first aid and emergency rescue techniques specifically designed for water safety. The kids learned the critical “reach, throw, don’t go” approach, which teaches them how to assist others in trouble without endangering themselves.
This segment also included basic first aid principles, such as identifying safe and unsafe water practices, and ensuring participants gained the skills and knowledge to act responsibly in emergencies. The Philippine Red Cross training added a new layer of preparedness, emphasizing that knowing what to do can make a crucial difference in an emergency.
Through the MILO® Safe Swim program, both kids and parents have learned invaluable lessons — not only the technical skills but also the mindset and confidence to be safe in and around water. With this initiative, MILO® aims for parents to see their children grow more self-assured and prepared, and for children to develop a deeper understanding of water safety fundamentals, contributing to a community-wide sense of water preparedness.
With the success of this year’s program, MILO® Safe Swim will expand to more cities nationwide next year. For more information on the program, visit https://www.milo.com.ph/ and the MILO® Facebook page.