BANTAY GOBYERNO 004-2024 (For August 9. 2024) GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT OUR SUSTAINABLE GOALS

 BANTAY GOBYERNO 004-2024 (For August 9. 2024)

GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT OUR SUSTAINABLE GOALS

I might have missed it after two searches, but it appears that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are being promoted by the United Nations (UN) are not mentioned in the medium term Philippine Development Plan (PDP) for 2023 to 2028. It could just be a simple oversight, but it could also be a sign that our government is not at all serious in our meeting these goals by 2030.

And what is the basis of my observation? I recall very clearly that our government at that time was not able to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were also proposed by the UN at that time, to end by 2015. I also recall that the government at that time was not even embarrassed that they failed to meet the goals, maybe because they were not serious in meeting them in the first place.

But why were the MDGs before and the SDGs now very important, and why should our government get serious about it? The first reason is that our country is one of the original signatories to the UN Charter, and we should lead the other member country members by our example. The second reason is that the SDG framework is a scorecard wherein the development achievement of all member countries are measured against each other. Since we flunked the MDGs, we should not flunk the SDGs this time.

While it is good to note that the PDP is focused on poverty, hunger and unemployment, we should remind the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) that those are only three goals out of a total of 17 goals. That being the case? How is the NEDA going to treat the other 14 goals? In a statement issued by  NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan last December 19, 2022, he mentioned both "poverty reduction" and "poverty alleviation" as if these two are interchangeable.

As I understand it, "poverty reduction" should mean liberating people from below the poverty line, while "poverty alleviation" should mean helping the people so that the hardships of the poor would become more bearable for them. In a manner of speaking, "poverty reduction" is like performing surgery, while on the other hand, "poverty alleviation" is like applying applying an ointment to a tumor. 

The details about the 17 SDGs are available everywhere, and it is not too late for the NEDA to revise the PDP so that it would become aligned to the rest of the 14 SDGs. And since the PDP has localized regional versions of the PDP, it should also come up with the localized regional versions of the SDGs, not unless the NEDA will do that, it will be seriously negligent in its duties. IKE SENERES


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PHILIPPINE INCLUSIVE SYSTEM FOR COLLEGE ENTRY OF STUDENTS

 PHILIPPINE INCLUSIVE SYSTEM FOR COLLEGE ENTRY OF STUDENTS My advocacy partner Mr. Roi Baluyot and I have created the Philippine Inclusive System for College Entry of Students (PISCES), for the purpose of making it easier for prospective students from the marginalized sectors to enter any of the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) that are located all over the Philippines. Although tuition is free in these SUCs, many prospective students find it difficult to proceed, because of possible expenses that they could not afford, such as books, learning materials, snacks, board and lodging, specifically for dormitory fees if they are from out of town. This idea started when Mr. Baluyot informed me that there are some UP alumni groups in the United States who are concerned about the fact that the the majority of the students who are presently enrolled in the UP campuses right now are mostly coming from the upper classes. That reality defeats the purpose of UP becoming a "university of ...
Read more

PREPARING FOR USAID PROJECT WITHDRAWALS

PREPARING FOR USAID PROJECT WITHDRAWALS The recent foreign policy shifts under returning U.S. President Donald Trump have significantly impacted global development aid, including USAID’s programs in the Philippines. With the United States reassessing its foreign assistance policies, it is almost certain that USAID funding for the Philippines will be reduced . This could lead to the slowdown—or even the complete shutdown—of various projects that have been instrumental in supporting economic development, governance, health, education, and infrastructure in the country. A Call for Proactive Government Action The Philippine government cannot afford to wait until the last minute to respond. The potential withdrawal of USAID projects must be addressed now , not when funding officially stops. A well-planned transition strategy is necessary to prevent gaps in critical services and ensure that the country’s development momentum is not disrupted. Steps the Government Must Take Immediate...
Read more

TELEMEDICINE AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL

 TELEMEDICINE AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL Marinduque Governor Presby Velasco has a wonderful plan to make telemedicine available to all the 218 Barangay Health Units (BHUs) in his island province, and I am very happy to help him with the project as his Information and Communications Technology (ICT) consultant.  Although the technology for telemedicine is already available in the market, it appears that no province has yet implemented a province wide telemedicine project that could connect patients from the grassroots level to the doctors at the municipal halls and the provincial capitol. By doing that, Governor Velasco will be able to achieve the goal of providing universal access to healthcare to everyone in his province. Although the project might appear to be complex, it is actually designed with a simple plan that would make it easy to implement. The one part of the plan is to install internet connectivity in each of the BHUs, using satellite or fiber, depending on what is av...
Read more