PSA: Only 4 out 17 SDGs progressed since 2000

The progress towards the attainment of the Philippines’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains to be a “big challenge,” with only four out of 17 goals showing improvement since 2000, latest data by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

Based on the Current Status Index, progress was only observed in Goal 1 (end poverty in all its forms everywhere); Goal 3 (ensure healthy lives and promote well­being for all at all ages); Goal 4 (ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all); and Goal 14 (conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development) within 13 years.

The PSA attributed this issue to the COVID-19 pandemic which hit the country in 2020.

“Progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) remains as big challenge in the Philippines as most of the country’s gains in the past have been reversed by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic,” the agency said in a statement.

The PSA stressed that the progress for these four goals, along with others, was still “short” compared to the target for 2022.

Only Goal 17 (strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development) among all surpassed the expected progress for 2022, but the lack of data made it insufficient to conclude the pace of progress for this specific goal.

“This pace of progress, however, was only based on one out of the 13 indicators under this goal, which may not be sufficient to conclude for the pace of progress for Goal 17,” the PSA added.

There were also four other goals that “regressed” since 2000, namely: Goal 2 (end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture); Goal 8 (promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all); Goal 11 (make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable); and Goal 13 (take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts).

Considering the pace of this progress, the PSA said that only 16.7% of the 42 measurable targets are on track to achieve the numerical target of the SDG by 2023.

Meanwhile, 42.9% needs “accelerated efforts” to meet them, while the remaining 40.5% require “exponential acceleration of its pace” in order to reverse the downtrend or regressions and achieve the 2030 target. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News