Manila, Philippines – The Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) flagship project Accelerating Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals for the Philippines (STI4SDGs) was among the highlights of the 48th Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) of the National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines (NAST PHL), held on July 8, 2026, at The Manila Hotel.
Centered on the theme, “UN SDGs: Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development,” this year’s scientific meeting convened leading scientists, policymakers, researchers, and development partners to discuss how science, technology, and innovation (STI) can accelerate the country’s progress toward achieving the SDGs.
DOST Assistant Secretary for Technology Transfer, Communications, and Commercialization Dr. Napoleon K. Juanillo, Jr. presented the Department’s STI4SDGs Project and emphasized that while the Philippines has made progress in integrating the SDGs into national and local development plans, the greater challenge now lies in accelerating implementation. Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, he noted that only 23.2 percent of the country’s SDG indicators are currently on track, while 51.5 percent require faster progress and 25.3 percent are regressing, highlighting the need for evidence-based and innovation-driven interventions.
To address this challenge, he presented the STI4SDGs Project’s convergence-based approach, which focuses on five (5) priority SDGs where DOST can make a strong and strategic contribution: SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Rather than treating these goals as independent sectors, the project recognizes them as interconnected development systems in which a single STI investment can generate multiple development outcomes. Dr. Juanillo cited climate-smart agriculture, AI-assisted telemedicine, and smart city technologies as examples of innovations that simultaneously contribute to food security, improved healthcare, stronger innovation ecosystems, sustainable urban development, and climate resilience.
“The project recognizes that STI investments often generate value across more than one SDG, and that our monitoring and evaluation systems must be able to capture these converging outcomes,” he explained.
A major component of the STI4SDGs Project is the development of a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Plan, which introduces a shift from traditional sector-based reporting to convergence-based monitoring. Anchored on a Theory of Change and a Results Framework, the MEAL Plan enables DOST to measure not only project outputs but also the changes that STI investments create across systems, institutions, sectors, and communities.
Dr. Juanillo explained that the framework encourages DOST to move beyond counting technologies developed or projects completed by examining how STI interventions strengthen food systems, improve healthcare, build innovation ecosystems, support sustainable cities, and enhance climate resilience. It also provides a mechanism for identifying risks, learning from implementation, and using evidence to guide future planning and policymaking.
The Assistant Secretary also highlighted the project’s use of converging indicators, which will allow DOST to monitor how a single STI intervention contributes to multiple SDGs while maintaining rigorous and accountable reporting. This approach, he said, enables the Department to better capture the full public value of STI investments and make more informed decisions on which interventions should be strengthened, scaled, or refined.
The meeting also featured a presentation by Mr. Mohamed Shahudh, Country Economist of the Office of the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines, who discussed the role of Sustainable and Just Economies in advancing the country’s development agenda. He emphasized the importance of increasing investments in research and development (R&D), particularly by encouraging greater private sector participation, to sustain the Philippines’ development momentum.
Mr. Shahudh also discussed how aligning industrial policy with a stronger R&D agenda can help strengthen domestic manufacturing, accelerate technology adoption among micro, small, and medium enterprises, and improve the country’s competitiveness in global markets.
Together, the presentations reinforced the importance of leveraging science, technology, and innovation to achieve sustainable and inclusive development.
Through the STI4SDGs Project, DOST remains committed to harnessing STI as a key driver of inclusive and sustainable development, strengthening evidence-informed governance, and accelerating the country’s progress toward achieving the SDGs by 2030.
Article by Maria Madel P. Palen, DOST-TTCC
Photos by DOST-STII