TRACKING Cebu City’s support for the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), the De La Salle University (DLSU) and Cebu Institute of Technology- University (CIT-U) joined forces in signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at DLSU Manila on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
To support the goal of the UN SDG and to help Cebu City in looking for sustainable development solutions, DLSU partners with CIT-U as a vessel to assist Cebu City in its approach towards sustainable development.
Hosting two-separate signing, CIT-U President Engr Bernard Nicolas Villamor and DLSU President Br. Bernard Oca FSC led the ceremony at DLSU Manila.
Villamor flew to Manila for the MOU Signing.
“Dubbed as the SDG City, the DLSU initiative seeks to contribute to achieving the SDGs by serving as a knowledge and collaborative hub for local governments, universities, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), citizens, and other actors to come together to look for sustainable development solutions,” said Oca during the online ceremony.
The signing was also witnessed by Engineer Richard Maghanoy, CEO of iSkin MEDSPA, Beverly Hills, who is based in California; and Robert Dumaual, a New York-based Filipino-American community advocate and President of Center for Global Best Practices.
Maghanoy, a CIT University alumnus, witnessed the signing live from California, while Dumaual, a DLSU alumnus, witnessed the signing by watching it live from New York.
The MOU signing started as a conversation between Maghanoy and Dumaual on their shared advocacy and concern for protecting the environment and promoting sustainability. Both expressed support for implementing SDGs in Cebu City.
This agreement signifies the commitment of both institutions to actively contribute to the localization of SDGs in Cebu City by engaging with various sectors and stakeholders within the community.
Oca elaborated the 2030 SDGs as an outline for the critical development challenges that require active participation from all sectors.
He said the partnership will allow strategic alignment for both universities’ resources and expertise.
While focusing on the localization of Cebu City’s SDGs, it is assessing the preparation of the Voluntary Local Review (VLR) that is a process in which local and regional governments (LRGs) voluntarily initiate an assessment of their progress of implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.
Tracing back to November 4, 2020, the Cebu City Council approved the resolution establishing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Council of Cebu City.
Former Councilor Alvin Dizon named the ordinance "Cebu City UN SDGs Council", which aims to guarantee that the SDGs are implemented at the local level.
CIT-U will serve as the only institution in Cebu City by far that will apply SDGs through their research, teachings, and capacity building. “We are fostering a collaboration that promises to reshape and energize our approach towards sustainable development in Cebu City,” Engr. Bernard Nicolas E. Villamor, CIT-U President during his speech.
While Vice President for Administration John Gregory Escario, Director for MIS and External Affairs Dr. Larmie Feliscuzo, and witnesses from the academe also graced the event.