How Does the Province of Bataan Engage Its Stakeholders to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals?

With the universality of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, SDG localization is seen as a strategy for the attainment of the 17 goals and this requires collective action not only of the national, regional, and local governments but also various actors across different sectors. This paper presents a case study on stakeholder engagement undertaken at the local level to achieve the SDGs, specifically in the Philippine province of Bataan. The selection of the Bataan Province stems from its rich ecological profile, wide range of enterprises, vast opportunities for development, and visionary leadership, thereby displaying its potential to address all 17 goals. The study used semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions, involving 10 representatives from different stakeholder groups from business enterprises, government institutions, and civil society. Thematic analysis was employed. Analysis shows that stakeholder engagement in the form of consultations, partnerships, networking, dialogues, and dissemination of records were conducted in all stages of the projects and programs geared towards the attainment of SDGs in the province. The wide range of stakeholders that are being engaged include the government, non-government organizations, civil society organizations, the private sector, academe, students and young leaders, and local communities. Strategies have been put in place to overcome barriers to stakeholder involvement. Based on the results, a proposed framework for stakeholder engagement to achieve the SDGs may be used to guide how local SDG actors can engage their stakeholders in each step of the programs and projects for SDG realization.