The SDGs are Already in Bicol

When we hear the words Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, many of us will likely think of a United Nations document, with the 17 colorful icons being memorized by students and shown in many Powerpoint presentations in international conferences, government reports and classrooms.

It can sound abstract and academic. And foreign. Perhaps even bureaucratic to be complied with and followed. But what if I say that the SDGs are already in Bicol? They are in our flooded streets, in our farms after a drought.They are in the fishing boats that cannot go out to sea because of bad weather. They are in the classrooms where children struggle to continue learning after a typhoon. They are in the families who lose income when floods destroy their homes and livelihoods. They are in our rivers, forests, ountains and seas; in our hospitals and evacuation centers. They are in the young Bicolanos asking whether they can build a decent future here—or whether they must leave to find their future elsewhere, abroad in some far away land or aboard intercontinental ships to earn what they cannot earn in their native land.

The SDGs are already in Bicol.If we read all the 17 sustainable development goals as if in a recitation in class, we will all agree, those 17 are everyone’s dream for Bicol!

No Poverty. Zero Hunger. Good Health and Well-Being. Quality Education. Clean Water and Sanitation. Affordable and Clean Energy. Decent Work. Sustainable Cities and Communities. Climate Action. Life Below Water. Life on Land. Partnerships.

Read them one by one and you may agree with me it is like reading 17 hopeful prayers for our beloved Bicol. Look around Bicol.When a flood wipes out a family’s livelihood, we are talking about poverty, hunger, decent work and resilience. When El Niño threatens agriculture and water supplies, we are talking about food security, water security and climate action. When fisherfolk lose access to productive fishing grounds, we are talking about livelihood, poverty, food security and life below water. When a school is damaged by a typhoon, we are talking about quality education and resilient infrastructure. When communities repeatedly flood, we are talking about sustainable cities and communities. When forests and watersheds are degraded, we are talking about life on land, water security and disaster resilience.

And this is why I believe we need to understand the SDGs—not simply because they are part of a global development agenda, but because they can help us see the connections among problems that we often treat separately. A flood is not simply a problem of water. For a poor family, it can become a problem of food. For a farmer, it can become a problem of livelihood. For a child, it can become a problem of education. For a small business, it can become a problem of survival. For a local government, it can become another major expenditure for relief and reconstruction. And for the environment, it can expose the consequences of how we have managed our land, rivers, forests and coastal areas.

One event. Many consequences. That is precisely why the SDGs matter. They tell us that development is interconnected. We cannot solve poverty without considering livelihoods. We cannot secure livelihoods without considering the environment. We cannot build resilient communities without considering infrastructure, health, education and governance. And we cannot talk seriously about Bicol’s future without talking about climate change.

We live in one of the country’s most hazard-exposed regions. Typhoons and flooding are a reality. Drought and landslides are not a surprise.The question is no longer whether another disaster will come. The question is can how long can we withstand anymore future disaster> Will we still be rebuilding the same vulnerable communities? Will we continue losing livelihoods every time a major storm passes? Will we continue treating disasters primarily as emergencies rather than as development risks? Or, can we now begin designing Bicol differently?

Maybe our roads, bridges, schools and hospitals should be designed not merely to serve us today but to withstand climate risks. Maybe our cities should not simply expand but become more resilient. Maybe our agricultural policies should anticipate both excessive rainfall and prolonged drought. Maybe our coastal development should recognize that healthy mangroves, fisheries and marine ecosystems are not obstacles to development but part of our natural protection and economic wealth. Maybe our young people should be equipped with the skills needed for the emerging green and blue economy. Maybe our development plans should ask not only “How much will this project contribute to economic growth?” but also: “Who benefits?” “Who is vulnerable?” “What happens when the next typhoon comes?”

These are SDG questions. But, they are also Bicol questions. This is where I think we need to change our understanding of the SDGs. They should not be treated as just a checklist: SDG 1—done. SDG 2—done. SDG 3—done. That misses the point. The 17 SDGs are in Bicol to be our collective homework to realize, act upon and live.

Weeks from now, TBM will be part of an excited community that will join other dedicated networks of organizations in welcoming renowned urban planner and environmentalist, Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox to Bicol to share his valuable insights on realizing the SDGs. Antabayanan!