Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando M. Tetangco, Jr. (seated center) led the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement for the Monetary Operations System of the BSP, a web-based electronic platform that will enable counterparties to participate in the BSP’s new auction-type facilities under the Interest Rate Corridor (IRC) System. The IRC will improve the transmission of monetary policy by helping ensure that the money market rates move within a reasonably close range around the BSP’s policy rate. (bsp.gov.ph)
The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) has started conducting multi-stakeholder workshops to prepare for the next series of consultations on the national Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the next Philippine Development Plan (PDP).
Together with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Neda conducted its second technical workshop on the SDGs indicators last May 11 to 12.
In a statement, the agency said the technical workshop gathered representatives from various specialized government agencies, non-governmental organizations and academic groups to classify the 230 globally approved indicators based on their level of methodological development and overall data availability at the national level.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Emmanuel F. Esguerra, who is also Neda director-general, said the insights generated from the workshop will serve as inputs to the series of consultations on the SDGs as well as for the crafting of the next PDP.
“In responding to the SDGs challenge, the Philippines initiated parallel efforts on the development of national-level indicators. This was done through the conduct of a multi-stakeholder workshop last year, building awareness through briefings, and reviewing the functions of existing institutional mechanisms that we have utilized in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals,” Esguerra said in the statement.
The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda involves 17 Sustainable Development Goals broken down into 169 targets and 230 globally approved indicators.
“We continue to review the list of indicators and discuss how we can mainstream them in the national planning process,” he added.
Participants discussed the viability of including new indicators that may be relevant to the Philippine context.
The workshop also allowed them to explore new data sources and data collection technologies, including possible partnerships with civil society, international development agencies, business groups and the academe.
Meanwhile, Neda will start conducting regional and sectoral consultations for the PDP in August this year, guided by the long-term vision and the SDGs.