Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) in the Philippines in 2025

Voluntary Local Review (VLR) is a process for sub-national governments to voluntarily review their progress towards delivering the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A VLR:

• allows local governments to LISTEN to people’s needs;
• invites SELF-REFLECTION for better SDG localization
• provides DATA-DRIVEN PROCESS to plan for action.

United Nations in the Philippines promotes the VLRs as a robust and effective mechanism for local and sub-national governments to assess and plan for SDG localization.

Download a one-page summary overview of VLRs recently conducted by local governments in the Philippines in partnership with the United Nations.  

In 2025, UNDP, UN ESCAP, and UN-HABITAT supported VLRs in the cities of Baguio, Santa Rosa, and Surigao: 

• Baguio VLR (UNDP)
• Santa Rosa VLR (UN ESCAP)
• Surigao VLR (UN-Habitat)