| WHERE ARE WE NOW?
The Current and Emerging Landscape for Sustainable Development
Demographic Trends. The Philippines ranks as the 9th most populous country in Asia and 1 4th in the world. The country's population growth, if unabated, will double to 128 million by 2025. Rapid population growth and imbalances in spatial distribution will continue if policy decision-making at all levels of governance does not recognize the relationships among population, resources, environment and development. The crucial role of the Filipino family in the dynamics of these relationships should also be considered. Cultural Trends. The inherent strengths of the Filipino culture (e.g. openness, freedom of expression, resilience, strong family orientation ) continue to reinforce social cohesion within the Philippine society. These values are also embodied in the growing tradition of local activism. However, it has been observed that some erosion of Filipino cultural values has taken place as manifested by, among others, the commodification of indigenous culture, sexual tourism, consumerism and increasing materialism. Science and Technology Trends. There have been many positive developments in this area. These include the improved level of contributions of highly skilled Filipino scientists and the growing recognition of the value of indigenous science and technology and holistic science. on the other hand, the sector has its share of problems, such as: the a brain drain" phenomenon; unfair monopoly of intellectual property rights; increasing use of technology as a simplistic response to complex problems; poor quality of science education due to inadequate funding and facilities; among others. Economic Trends. Positive economic growth rates (as measured by GDP) have benefited certain sectors of Philippine society but do not reflect social decline and inequity nor the deterioration of the environment associated with economic growth. Despite continued economic growth, challenges remain, which include, among others: high level of public indebtedness; low level of savings; large deficits; remaining distortions in the price and incentive system; rampant casualization of labor; and indiscriminate land and ecosystem conversion. Urbanization Trends. Difficulties in the implementation of agrarian and urban land reform and rural development programs have contributed to unplanned and uncontrolled urbanization. Philippine cities have deteriorated as human habitats, beset with intractable and often interrelated problems like pollution, water shortage, flooding, violence and other social ills. Human Development Trends. Existing measures of human development indicate some improvement over time. However, these improvements are uneven across geographical, income, gender and ethnic groups. The development of human potential is being affected by continuing challenges such as: rampant substance abuse, break-up of families, economic exploitations and homelessness as evidenced by the growing number of street children. Environmental Trends. Even with accelerating economic growth, environmental quality is- fast deteriorating as dramatized by the increased incidence of environmental disasters, problems associated with mine tailings, deforestation, pollution, salt water intrusion and a host of other destructive activities. The regenerative capacities of fragmented areas in the biogeographic zones that nurture flora, fauna and natural resources are severely threatened. While advances have been made in the area of biodiversity conservation alongside the growing awareness of the role of indigenous peoples in maintaining the integrity of ecosystems, the Environmental Impact Assessment system continues to be plagued with various enforcement and compliance problems. Institutional Trends. The Philippines has strong institutional building blocks for sustainable development, including a strong civil society, socially and environmentally- conscious business groups, community empowerment initiatives, devaluation and decentralization. However, these are plagued by ineffective mechanisms for enforcement and implementation, information inadequacies and continuing systemic graft and corruption. Political Trends. The current wave of globalization is increasingly posing some threat to the country's national sovereignty. Domestically, the rich continue to dominate political processes as evidenced by deep-seated iniquitous structures and processes. The challenge continues for meaningful electoral reforms. Meanwhile, the Local Government Code has reinforced the role of LGUs in development administration. Civil society, as a countervailing force, has been engaging government at all levels. 
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chieving sustainable development is a formidable
task. Hence, the journey towards sustainable development must
be grounded on a clear understanding of the challenges, trends
and opportunities that lie ahead.