SDG Global Festival of Action: Becoming Responsible Mapúans for Sustainability and Development
By: Zoe Grace Buergo
Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna (Mapúa MCL) is steadfast in its mission to provide a learning environment that creates globally competitive professionals. The ASEAN Month celebration with the theme Global Festival of Action, held on August 31, 2023, intended to develop a community with comprehensive knowledge of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and contribute to achieving it as the Mapúa MCL envisions.
The event welcomed the students with three time-worthy plenary discussions centered on SDGs 9, 11, and 16 and extensive SDG-related displays and projects at the E.T. Yuchengco Lobby.
Mapúa Insititute of Technology at Laguna (MITL) Faculty Member, Ar. Alvin P. Tejada invited everyone to a discovery of knowledge about SDG #11: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) cities and communities. During the plenary session, Ar. Tejada highlighted the target goals of SDG #11 to attain a sustainable community by making human settlements and cities in every community safe, inclusive, sustainable, and storm-resistant. He emphasized that the impact of disasters on communities, infrastructure, and services resulted in high death rates. In addition, for inclusive and sustainable urbanization, it is not only the government’s responsibility but also to activate community involvement by making small changes in our daily lives by managing food waste, walking in dedicated spaces for pedestrians, and more.
The Senior Vice President for Administration and Legal, Atty. Maria Eloisa R. Gan followed the plenary session about SDG #16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, whose message explicitly addressed the subject of freedom of speech and expression through participatory communication. The session with Atty. Gan highlighted the phrases “freedom” and “discipline” and discussed how students have a right to share and express themselves freely in the community while also fostering accountability. The student’s right to freedom of speech and expression must be safeguarded, but we must also be reminded that we are responsible for the consequences of what we do.
As a result of easy access to technology in the modern day, people are now highly technologically literate, especially in using social media. SDG #9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure strived to develop resilient infrastructure, advance sustainable industrialization, and support innovation. Prof. Dennis A. Martillano, a College of Computer and Information Science (CCIS) faculty member, launched the conversation concerning this goal. Aligned with SDG #9, the session made the participants analyze the Philippines’ preparedness and standing in the innovation. He stressed that it is time for the Philippines to consider promoting innovation and making infrastructures ready to implement the Internet of Things (IoT) by acknowledging the talents of the Filipinos.
The SDG Global Festival of Action helped students make decisions that will positively impact their communities, freedom, and innovative minds, in line with Mapúa MCL’s mission to create professionals who contribute to the industry and society’s concerns and solutions by the expert application of knowledge.