GEO-MAPPING of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is set in Benguet province.
On February 28, officials from the 13 municipalities of the province sign the Project Partnership Agreement held in Baguio City, together with academic institutions, government line agencies in Cordillera for a one-year project to be implemented by the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation entitled "Mobilizing Investments and Community Participation in SDGs through Geo-mapping in the Philippines” approved by the German Ministry with a given budget of P3.35 million.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development sometime in September 2015.
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-Cordillera stated in the Philippines, a total of 155 indicators were identified with the number one goal to end poverty.
JVOFI executive director Maria Rosario Lopez said Benguet was chosen as pilot area with a bigger scope compared to the City of Baguio and at the same time regional offices are accessible within the province.
"We are intending to map the SDG indicators so that it will become more understandable, user friendly especially to LGUs that might have limited technical background translating facts and figures into easy way through map,” she said.
Lopez added they are in the process of determining the number of indicators as well as looking at the indicators of Benguet based on their five year plan. At the same time, there are indicators that are currently being monitored by each line agencies which is also considered.
The project is set to laps until November this year of which Benguet remain as the end-user of the project, while JVOFI hopes the project will be sustained by the province.
Under the signed agreement, PSA-Cordillera was tasked as the official repository of the SDG indicators tapped to be on the partners to assist in the project implementation.
Villafe Alibuyog, PSA-CAR regional director, urged the cooperation of the LGUs in coming up with the data in order for a better planning and project for the constituents.
JVOFI president and SunStar Baguio publisher Reinaldo Bautista Jr. said JVOFI serves as network to convene all government agencies and local government units (LGUs) for a technology-made easier to decision making.
The geo-mapping project also composed of the Provincial Health Office of Benguet, Department of Natural Resources-CAR, Department of Interior and Local Government-CAR, Department of Social Welfare and Development-CAR and National Economic and Development Authority-CAR together with the 13 LGUs and academic institutions cooperation to achieve the SDGs.