Govt, sustainability leaders say SDGs must be well led, people-centered, collaborative to succeed
By Marivir R. Montebon
New York – Sustainability leaders and government officials from the US, Philippines, and Mexico say that the success of the seemingly lofty Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the UN is how it has improved the lives of local people.
At an international parallel event to the recently concluded High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, speakers from the Philippines, US, and Mexico agreed on the strategies of community-buy-in, accountable leadership, and collaboration for SDGs to transform lives.
HLPF parallel international forum by WFWPI speakers: Amb. Mario de Leon Jr., Asst. Regional Director Evelyn Nacario-Castro, Merly Barlaan, Ivanna dela Torre, Dr. Marivir Montebon (moderator), Dr. Maria del Carmen Santiago, Prof. Juvy Delmonte, and Dr. Javier Sandoval.
The parallel event, organized by the Women's Federation for World Peace International on July 16, 2026, came at a crucial time when the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are ending in 2030. Member states and non-governmental organizations are in the process of evaluating the impact of their local courses of action. As of press time, the UN has noted that only about 36% of the SDGs have been implemented globally.
Focus: Central Visayas
The Central Visayas region in the Philippines has been in focus at the forum with its resilience after being battered by a powerful earthquake and super typhoon in 2025, and the sustainability challenges it continues to face.
Retired Philippine Ambassador Mario de Leon Jr., Southeast Asia strategist Ivanna dela Torre, and Assistant Regional Director Evelyn Nacario-Castro of the Central Visayas Department of Economy, Planning, & Development (DEPDev) in the panel gave an expansive assessment of the region.
Composed of Cebu and Bohol provinces in central Philippines, the region is the largest economy outside the Luzon island with wealth valued at Php1.32T.
Regionalizing development for resilience and sustainability
De Leon invited attention to look at the region's resilience in the midst of natural calamities and the constant need to transform lives of people sustainably.
In 2025, Central Visayas was battered by twin natural calamities, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on September 30 and week later, a super typhoon on November 4 that downed electricity, halted water supply, created massive floods, and destroyed farms and industries.
In five weeks, its resilience was tested, said de Leon in his report, with the national government declaring it in a state of calamity and a national investigation into ghost and substandard infrastructure projects.
Five months later, in May, the regional government shifted to a long-term recovery and rehabilitation program, with renewable energy building (solar energy) and green and people-centered design standards for businesses.
How impactful are we? - that’s the question as the SDGs come to a close in 2030, have lives been improved? Speakers tackle the answer from the ground.
De Leon commended the coordinative system of national, regional, and local government in responding to the calamities. It is a government model to look at, he said.
Nacario-Castro presented the government roadmap of economic development and integrated 'catch up plan' for the interconnected clusters of towns and cities in the region, aptly called the puso (or hanging rice, a staple food in Cebu and Bohol) regions.
The government taps a coordinative body of community organizations and nonprofit agencies where planning and consultation processes are made.
Central Visayas has implemented its "decentralized concentrations" of culturally and economically determined development zones to encourage localized growth.
She emphasized that sustainable development will be realized with everyone's participation. "Government cannot do it alone."
De Leon pointed out that resilience challenges include the slow release of funds to respond to urgent relief and rehabilitation (only Php856M of the Php4.5B earmarked QRF has been disbursed so far).
De Leon noted the necessity of rebuilding infrastructure with resilience and not just for restoration, as well as leadership accountability.
Interestingly, while the provinces of Cebu and Bohol were battered by super typhoon Tino and shook by a powerful earthquake, WFWPI had quietly worked with local organizations for its climate action programs.
WFWPI's programs take conscious effort at grounding the lofty and technical-sounding SDGs while empowering women and youth, upon the curation of WFWPI Vice President Merly Barlaan who leads the UN Relations Offices in New York, Geneva, and Vienna.
WFWPI has partnered with municipal agriculturists in Bohol for the permaculture education of women farmers to address food security and the Cebu Institute of Technology University in Cebu for permaculture scholarships.
"Community-buy-in and collaboration with government and businesses is key, and including the leadership of women," reflected Barlaan.
Consistent, accountable leadership is important
Southeast Asia strategist Ivanna dela Torre said that on the ground, there is no deficit in innovation but in implementation. She is the founder of KayaROI and chief curator of HERDD, a platform for women leadership and socio-economic and governance integration in Southeast Asia.
Dela Torre cited Singapore's governance not only as an "event" but a total system with long-term vision and detailed planning of programs. While public participation is a key element to success, she emphasized the important role of leadership in government as the central engine that drives sustainability programs dynamic, long-lasting and effective.
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto with Dela Torre and KayaROI team.
"Sustainable development depends on a different kind of infrastructure - public trust. It is a development capital. Without it, even the best policies struggle to succeed."
Dela Torre cited Pasig City, led by Mayor Vico Sotto, as one example where institutions can change, and that transparent and accountable governance is possible, making people believe in institutions and thereby motivating their behavior at participation.
KayaROI works with Pasig City's circular programs on waste and governance systems as well as in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Prof. Juvy Delmonte, WFWP Philippines president, concurred with dela Torre's statement on leadership. Consistent and honest leadership is key in keeping programs running, she said. Once leadership gets weak, it is challenging to go back on track.
Nacario-Castro observed that environmental advocacy by civil society in Cebu has slowed down in the past 5 to 7 years as huge gaps in implementing sustainability laws have always been a problem.
"We have a plethora of policies, but enforcement is a problem. And the environmental advocacy by civil society has slowed down too, in Cebu where I am at. This is because of several factors, lack of resources for sustainability of advocacies, leadership change," she explained.
Nacario-Castro has extensive experience of sustainable development work at the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, one of the country's largest nonprofits, as well as being local governance and community engagement consultant.
At the Ministerial Meeting of the HLPF
De Leon, who is WFWPI senior consultant for diplomacy, noted that member states who attended the Ministerial Meeting for the HLPF acknowledged that local implementation is the determinant of the successful SDGs.
"Tangible improvements experienced by people on the ground are the true test of delivery of services and programs by governments who pledge commitment to SDGs," he said.
The challenges met by member states is foremost continued geopolitical instability that has threatened the gains of SDGs worldwide, as well as the emergence of AI that could be used to undermine realities, said de Leon.
Better data as a guide to creating appropriate measures has also been cited at the Ministerial Meeting.
De Leon also noted that innovative financing is indispensable in implementing SDGs. Non-conventional funding for sustainability include blended finance, local resource mobilization, digital financial innovation, private-public partnerships, and sustainable and green finance.
Integration and innovation
Dr. Maria del Carmen Santiago, Commissioner for the Environment in the township of Franklin in New Jersey noted that public participation in crafting and implementing local policies create the most impact in Franklin's conservation of plastics and reducing gas emissions.
Dr. Maria del Carmen Santiago at Franklin Township’s save energy campaign.
"Sustainable development is not an abstract goal but a shared responsibility - one community, one policy, one partnership at a time with municipal resolutions and ordinances," remarked del Carmen.
Dr. Javier Sandoval, an urban simulation modeler from Guadalajara, Mexico, spoke on the integration of human rights, urban planning, and sustainable development in the Human Rights Cartography.
Dr. Javier Sandoval presents his Human Rights Cartography during a Voluntary Local Review Laboratory at the 2026 HLPF in New York on July 13, 2026.
Developed in the College of Urban Jurisprudence International, Sandoval presented a simulated map integrating human rights, programs, and legislation for cities in Mexico and Latin America during the parallel event.
The map is a developmental tool in Mexico, he said, for the right to cities program of the UN, which by experience became more enriching and impactful when the public actively participated in legislations and programs.
Sandoval presented the same program during a Voluntary Local Review Laboratory at the 2026 HLPF on Sustainable Development on July 13, 2026 at the UN New York headquarters together with the innovative presentations of Brazil and Germany.
The WFWPI international parallel event wound up with a hopeful excitement of participants for a continued collaboration in the near future. #
