Dr Leland Dela Cruz speaks at 53rd Association of Foundations general assembly

Dr Leland Joseph R Dela Cruz, Assistant Vice President for Social and Environmental Engagement for Development and Sustainability and Associate Professor of Development Studies spoke about the Role of NGOs in sustaining momentum and accelerating progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at the 53rd General Assembly of the Association of Foundations (AF) on 4 June 2025. AF is the largest network of non-government organizations in the Philippines. 

Dr Dela Cruz spoke alongside Adrian A Cerezo, Assistant National Statistician, Social Sector Statistics Service, Philippine Statistics Authority, who gave a national snapshot of SDG progress; and Dr Aniceto Orbeta, President of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, who spoke about the most critical trends, challenges, and opportunities revealed by the data.

In his talk and the subsequent discussion, Dr Dela Cruz encouraged NGOs to shift from using a poverty lens to a vulnerability lens to account for the growing lower middle class. He also argued that this lens helps to explain recent political phenomena. A vulnerability lens may also help NGOs identify how they can collaborate with other sectors (local governments, businesses, the academe, and religious groups) to address the vulnerabilities their partner communities face.

Photos courtesy of the Association of Foundations.