The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a major setback to the country’s progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reversing the gains the nation had made, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported. Based on the Current Status Index (CSI) published by the PSA on Thursday, June 29, the Philippines has shown progress only in four specific SGD areas since 2000, namely goals one, three, four, and 14. These goals encompass the eradication of poverty, improvement of health and well-being, provision of quality education, and the preservation of marine ecosystems and resources. Despite making notable strides in these four goals, the PSA noted that the Philippines had fallen short of the anticipated progress expected by 2022. Meanwhile, there has been a regression observed in the areas of SDGs two, eight, 11, and 13, which encompass zero hunger, decent work and economic growth, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action, respectively. “It may be noted that among the goals, only Goal 17 surpassed the 2022 line,” National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Claire Dennis S. Mapa said. SDG 17 focuses on strengthening global partnerships through collaboration, cooperation, and mobilization of resources from various stakeholders, including governments, civil society, private sector, and international organizations. “This pace of progress, however, was only based on one out of the 13 indicators under this goal, which may not be sufficient to conclude for the pace of progress for Goal 17,” Mapa pointed out. Based on the findings of the Anticipated Progress Index, a mere 16.7 percent of targets with measurable progress are currently on track, necessitating concerted and sustained efforts to achieve them. Furthermore, a significant 42.9 percent of these targets require accelerated endeavors to catch up, while a notable 40.5 percent demand a rapid and exponential surge in pace to reverse the current downtrend and ensure the attainment of the goal by 2030. “In like manner as in the SDG target level, 16.9 percent of the indicators that met the data requirements are on track while almost half or 47.7 percent of the indicators with measurable progress need acceleration,” Mapa said. “On the other hand, 35.4 percent needs a reversal of the trend,” he added. The SDGs are a set of 17 global goals established by the United Nations as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SGDs aim to address social, economic, and environmental challenges, such as poverty, education, gender equality, clean energy, sustainable cities, climate action, and biodiversity. The goals aim for balanced and integrated development across these dimensions by 2030.