<P> Among the achievements of the government in the Philippines are a high access to an improved water source of 92% in 2010; the creation of financially sustainable water service providers ("Water Districts") in small and medium towns with the continuous long - term support of a national agency (the "Local Water Utilities Administration" LWUA); and the improvement of access, service quality and efficiency in Manila through two high - profle water concessions awarded in 1997 . </P> <P> The challenges include limited access to sanitation services, high pollution of water resources, often poor drinking water quality and poor service quality, a fragmentation of executive functions at the national level among numerous agencies, and a fragmentation of service provision at the local level into many small service providers . </P> <P> In 2015 it was reported by the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation by WHO and UNICEF that 74% of the population had access to improved sanitation and that "good progress" had been made . The access to improved sanitation was reported to be similar for the urban and rural population . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="4"> Population </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Million </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1950 </Td> <Td> 18.6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2000 </Td> <Td> 78.0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2016 </Td> <Td> 103.3 </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Neighboring countries of the philippines group to the west