PSA system to guide Cordi LGUs, execs in governance

By Liza Agoot

BAGUIO CITY – The Philippine Statistics Authority has partnered with the local government units in the Cordillera Administrative Region for a Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS), specific to the needs of the local government as a guide for its decision making.
    "While they are not included in the pilot areas in the country, they asked for inclusion as they see the importance of having relevant statistics that will guide the decisions of the officials," PSA-CAR Director Villafe Alibuyog said in a press recent briefing.
    Alibuyog said statistics serve as a guide in planning and decision-making that will better benefit the constituents.
    He said that except for the population survey which is specific to a local government, all other PSA surveys done in the past are limited to regional information which is not reflective of a particular local jurisdiction. An example is the regional economic situation which may not be reflective of a specific town or area’s situation.
    Republic Act 11315 otherwise known as the CBMS law was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in April 2019, allowing the conduct of dis-aggregated surveys on very specific information necessary in targeting beneficiaries, conducting more comprehensive poverty analysis and needs prioritization, designing appropriate policies and interventions, and monitoring their impact to the community.
    Among the information to be obtained include situation of the following in a specified area: health, nutrition, water, shelter, education, income, employment, security, participation, location of buildings, housing units, service institutions, infrastructure, natural resources, government project; and status of government projects.
    Cyr Bagayao, Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (DRRMO) II of Baguio City, said the city has asked for inclusion in the pilot areas to help the local government in reducing the city and the residents’ vulnerability as well as in prioritizing and allocating resources properly.
    “This is a vulnerability assessment and part of the DRRM prevention and mitigation plans of the city,” he said.
    He said the local government has allotted P45 million from its DRRM funds for the conduct of a CBMS specific to the city as a guide.
    The survey will run from November until the third week of January next year.
    He said the city government purchased 390 tablets that will be used by the data gatherers who will do the survey.
    The city has targeted 105,049 households in its 128 barangays to be included in the CBMS survey during the period given.
    The CBMS is an organized technology-based system of collecting, processing, and validating necessary dis-aggregated data that may be used for planning, program implementation, and impact monitoring at the local level while empowering communities to participate in the process.
    It shall serve as an economic and social tool for the formulation and implementation of poverty alleviation and development programs that are specific, targeted, and responsive to the basic needs of each sector of the community.
    Imelda Buyuccan, chief statistical specialist of PSA-Benguet which includes this city, asked residents to cooperate and participate by identifying who among the household members can provide information to the enumerators for accurate information.
    "The interview will take about an hour with 40 pages of the questionnaire that needs to be answered," she said. “We want to have 100 percent of the target to see the real situation on the ground.” -- PNA