CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — With Northern Mindanao showing uneven progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, the region’s top development official is urging stakeholders to support the SDG Catch-Up Plan, which aims to accelerate progress on lagging indicators

Mylah Faye Aurora B. Cariño, regional director of the Department of Economic Planning and Development (DEPDev)-10, said the catch-up plan serves as a guide for resource mobilization and coordination on SDG implementation at both regional and local levels.

“Dinhi sa (in the) catch-up plan, ang atong (our) focus are not all of the SDGs because there are goals that we are on track, but there are indicators where we are regressing and where our performance slowed down. That’s why it needs acceleration,” she said during her remarks at the National Statistics Month regional opening ceremony on Oct. 7.

The plan was developed with support from the Regional Development Council (RDC), building on assessments conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In 2024, the RDC passed resolutions to mobilize technical assistance and engage partners in shaping the catch-up plan. Cariño said the plan aligns with both national and regional development plans while targeting specific SDG indicators where Northern Mindanao is either lagging or backsliding.

Cariño said the plan identifies performance gaps, missed targets, and root causes that existing programs may not fully address.

“It’s not for lack of trying, but it’s because maybe some of our programs and projects do not really address what we call the underlying determinants or causes of our challenges. Sometimes we only address the symptoms,” Cariño said.

She also noted the plan’s role in guiding resource allocation in the face of resource constraints.

“Not everyone needs the same level of government intervention. Equity and justice must guide our resource allocation,” she said. “This is why statistics matter. Without knowing where we stand, we cannot improve.”

Cariño also reaffirmed the Regional Statistics Committee’s commitment to promoting evidence-based decision-making.

The 17 SDGs, adopted by 192 United Nations member states, including the Philippines, aim to address issues such as poverty, inequality, education, health, and environmental sustainability by 2030. They follow the Millennium Development Goals and are integrated into both the Philippine Development Plan and the Northern Mindanao Regional Development Plan.

Cariño called on stakeholders to support the implementation of the catch-up plan and ensure that decisions are informed by reliable data.

“By working together, we can harness the power of data to accelerate Northern Mindanao’s contribution to the SDGs and ensure that, truly, here in the region, no one is left behind,” she said. (APB/PIA-10)