缅北禁地

IPIL conducts FGD on SDG Awareness and Implementation in Iligan聽

Feb 26 2025

On February 19, 2025, the Policy Center for Human Rights and Sustainable Development (PCHRSD) of the Institute for Policy Innovation and Leadership (IPIL) organized a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) as part of the research project entitled ‘Assessing the Awareness and Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals: A Study of Alignment from Iligan City's Local Government Unit to Barangay Local Government Units.’ This initiative brought together key department heads from the Iligan LGU who were responsible for implementing SDG-related programs and projects at the barangay level.

The session began with Prof. Maria Pia Sison, project leader, and head of the PCHRSD-IPIL, presenting the rationale of the research project. She explained the study’s objectives, methodology, and importance in assessing the alignment of local government efforts with the United Nations’ SDG framework. Joy Mae Gabion, University Researcher of IPIL, followed with an initial discussion of survey findings capturing the awareness level of the select barangay officials and community members.

During the open forum, participants raised several questions about the research, seeking clarifications on the project’s duration, targeted barangays, and the availability of the survey instrument for their reference. 

The policy center invited Settie Sahara Mutia, University Researcher of Mindanao Heritage and Indigenous Research Center, as the main facilitator for the Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Rholaisa Mamailao, University Researcher of IPIL, Mohamad Rakan Minalang, and Xeanne Brixe Malimas, Research Assistants of IPIL, assisted her. Participants were divided into three groups, each group tasked with discussing SDG awareness, implementation, challenges, and opportunities at the local level.

Following the group discussions were the presentations of their outputs and welcomed additional insights from other groups. While the presentations were well delivered, some participants admitted that they were not fully prepared to provide detailed reports proving the alignment of their programs and projects with SDGs. 

In his closing remarks,  Prof.  Adrian Galido expressed gratitude to the LGU officials for their participation and highlighted the critical role of collaboration in achieving SDG targets.

This FGD is important in validating the responses of the barangay officials and providing LGU officials with insights into the ground-level realities. Despite the identified low awareness among barangay officials, the LGU representatives remained optimistic about improving SDG awareness and implementation. They suggested conducting a follow-up survey to assess progress and measure improvements in the cascading of SDG knowledge and initiatives to the barangay level. This suggestion aligns with the overarching purpose of the research: to develop evidence-based policy recommendations aimed at strengthening SDG awareness and ensuring more effective implementation from the LGU to the BLGU level.

The research team will now proceed with the processing of the FGD, key informant interviews, and secondary data collection. The research is expected to conclude in April 2025. 

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