Reality Check: The Philippines' Struggle to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals

Despite a recent uptick in rankings, the Philippines continues to grapple with substantial challenges in its pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Many critical areas are either stagnating or regressing, which encapsulates the complexity of the nation’s development landscape.

Established by the United Nations in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a global framework for addressing critical issues like poverty, inequality, and climate change by 2030. Striving to meet these ambitious targets, the Philippines is characterized by both advancements and persistent challenges across various sectors.

According to the 2024 Sustainable Development Report, the Philippines has improved its ranking to 92nd out of 1667 countries, with its SDG index score rising from 67.14 to 67.47. However, only eight out of 17 SDGs show moderate advancement, while eight have stagnated and one has declined. This disparity raises critical questions about the effectiveness of current strategies.

In a report by GMA News, UN Secretary General Aminna Mohammed emphasized that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is attainable for the Philippines, despite significant challenges.

The Philippines confronts considerable stagnation in several key areas of sustainable development. For instance, SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) reveals concerning trends, including high maternal mortality rates and inadequate access to quality healthcare services.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reports that health indicators have not seen significant improvement since 2000. According to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the country faces challenges in achieving targets such as reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births and ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under five.

In terms of SDG 4 (Quality Education), the Philippines faces significant challenges, including high dropout rates and persistent disparities in educational access. The Department of Education reported that over 1.2 million students dropped out during the pandemic, highlighting the urgent need for interventions. Additionally, findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) reveal that 62% of public high school teachers are instructing in subjects outside their area of expertise, which adversely impacts the quality of education.

Other stagnating SDGs include SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), with approximately 51 million Filipinos experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity between 2021 and 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization's The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 revealed. This figure represents 44.1% of the total population, marking the lowest percentage since 43.8% during the 2019-2021 period.

Amid these challenges, there are notable areas where the Philippines has made strides toward achieving its SDGs. A significant achievement is found in SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), where initiatives promoting sustainable practices have been successfully implemented. The 2024 Sustainable Development Report highlights this specific goal as an area of progress.

Additionally, positive developments are evident in poverty reduction efforts under SDG 1 (No Poverty). The most recent poverty rate in the Philippines decreased from 18.1% in 2021 to 15.5% in 2023, indicating some improvement in the country’s economic conditions. This decline suggests that fewer people are falling below the poverty line.

Furthermore, the definition of poverty has shifted, particularly in terms of food poverty. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) adjusted the food poverty threshold by just ₱21 per meal, meaning that a person now needs only a slightly higher income to meet basic nutritional requirements. While this adjustment might show a decrease in poverty, it does not fully reflect the broader financial struggles that many Filipinos still face, particularly in other areas like housing and education.

However, public perception regarding government claims of progress remains mixed; many citizens express skepticism due to perceived deficiencies in transparency surrounding data collection and reporting processes. Surveys conducted on public attitudes toward sustainable development goals indicate that awareness and knowledge gaps persist among the general population.

According to the secretary general, while they acknowledge the Philippines' potential to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the country faces significant challenges in making progress, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

Globally, approximately 84% of SDGs are either off-track or regressing, as reported by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. This alarming statistic reflects widespread challenges related to food systems, biodiversity, and peace, underscoring the need for enhanced efforts to achieve these critical goals.

The primary areas of concern encompass food systems, which are becoming increasingly pressured by unsustainable agricultural practices and the impacts of climate change; biodiversity, which faces threats from habitat destruction and pollution; and peace, which is compromised by conflict and social inequality.

As stakeholders continue to assess the Philippines' trajectory toward sustainable development, it becomes increasingly evident that substantial work remains if the country aims to achieve its SDGs by 2030.