PSA hands to LGUS tech-based

system as policy, planning tool

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, (PIA)— By Monday, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) would have turned over to all towns in Bohol a technology-based system of collected data that would be very handy for local government units needing to prioritize their scant development funds to where these are needed.

Starting September 23, the PSA turned over to Alburquerque, Antequera, Baclayon, Corella, Dimiao, Lila, Loay, Valencia, Alicia, Anda, Candijay, Duero, Garcia Hernandez, Guindulman, Jagna and Mabini their databases of locally collected data tracking the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals in the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS).

The CBMS provides essential data on 17 of the UN SDG like poverty, Hunger, Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and Reduced Inequalities, all collected from all households.

Last Friday, another 16 towns: Balilihan, Calape, Catigbian, Cortes, Loon, Maribojoc, San Isidro, Sikatuna, Buenavista, Clarin, Danao, Getafe, Inabanga, Sagbayan, Talibon and Tubigon also got their CBMS data in a ceremonial turn-over.

CBMS is a very good tool especially in prioritizing and strategizing the local government unit’s development plans and programs. The data from the CBMS are mostly data coming from within the LGU that is why it will be more specific that LGUS can be guided which programs to implement in specific areas, explains planning officer Roebert Varquez, during the turn-over.

The CBMS can now generate updated and disaggregated data in conducting comprehensive poverty analysis, so that LGUS scant resources can be prioritized and leaders can design apt policies and interventions that would be more fitting.

San Isidro town mayor and lawyer Diosdado Gementiza, said for his town, the CBMS would be a huge tool as it would show poor households, households with malnourished kids, out of school youth, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

We will now know out targets for social services, scholarship programs and alternative learning, livelihood trainings and job fairs, and we can prioritize projects like water systems, electrification, farm to market roads, feeding programs and DRRM interventions, he said.

This Monday, the PSA is also set to turn-over the same technology-based system now in a portable drive, that would allow LGUS to safe-keep statistics data that is reliable accurate and accessible which can be very useful for planning, research and policy making.

The CBMS can be basis for Local Development Planning, the Annual Investment Planning, the third district mayor of Bohol last two fifth class town added.

This can also guide LGUS in developing and updating their Comprehensive Land Use Plans, which is very critical for a sustainable and inclusive local development, Varquez added.

In fact, for San Isidro Municipal Planning Officer Engr. Rogelio Laquinta, he remembered an earlier and more basic Poverty Data Monitoring System (PDMS) which was very useful for Bohol’s planning years ago.

I can recall the first CBMS, it was the PDMS in Bohol, if you want to see the most deprived barangay, it can immediately show all those [barangays] with most red indicators, those are the problems in that barangay that needs to be solved, Engr Laquinta explained.

The CBMS, has many indicators that relate to the Strategic Development Goals, we can use this, this is an easy tool to use to guide us in our interventions for the poor in the town, he added.

This provided municipal and barangay-level data that can be used by local government in evidence-based policy-making and program implementation, as well as help national government agencies in updating registries for better targeting of beneficiaries for the government’s social protection programs, sated PSA Bohol Chief supervising statistician Jessamyne Anne Alcazaren. (PIABohol)

POWER IN THE HANDS. For LGUS with lesser resources, the CBMS allows them to target-spend their development funds to where these are direly needed, and for the ordinary people who know the CBMS, the CBMS lets them get prioritized in the LGU programs they would need. Accepting the CBMS for Danao is mayor Maria Celeste Cepedoza-Lerion, who saw the importance of the tool in their hands. (PIABohol)