16 FEBRUARY 2024 – QUEZON CITY. Eight resolutions were approved by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Board during its 35th meeting held on 16 February 2024 in its Central Office at Eton Centris Cyberpod 5, EDSA cor. Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

The PSA Board has convened once again to discuss immediate and pertinent matters affecting the operations of the agency and its stakeholders. Present during the meeting are the Board Chairperson and Presiding Officer, National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, Vice Chairperson and Department of Budget and Management Undersecretary Joselito R. Basilio, Chair of the Secretariat and PSA Undersecretary Claire Dennis S. Mapa, and 22 other members.

This quarter’s discussion dealt with the proposed frequency of conducting the National Migration Survey (NMS), every ten years, starting in 2025. The first NMS was conducted in 2018. On the other hand, the conduct of the National Demographic and Health Survey was proposed to be modified from every five years to every three years. Both were considered by the Board and approved accordingly.

Additionally, in reference to the PSA Board Resolution No. 01 series of 2017-146 (Approving the Synchronized Rebasing of Price Indices to Base Year 2006), which mandates the rebasing of the price indices every six years, the Rebasing of the Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index from Base Year 2012 to Base Year 2018 was proposed. This motion also received an approval from the Board.

The proposed methodology in estimating the Sustainable Development Goal 16.10.1 also received a green light from the body. This indicator refers to the number of verified cases of killing, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture of journalists, associated media personnel, trade unionists and human rights advocates in the previous 12 months. As such, this approval will help facilitate the collection, analysis, dissemination, and use of relevant data to help the victims of the mentioned cases. The PSA will work closely with the Commission on Human Rights and the member agencies of the Interagency Committee on Security, Justice, and Peace Statistics, to ensure the accomplishment of this undertaking.

Finally, four resolutions were approved following the discussion of the proposed simultaneous Census of Population (POPCEN) and Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) Implementation, as presented by the Chairperson of the Interagency Committee on Population and Housing Statistics, Undersecretary Lisa Grace S. Bersales of the Commission on Population and Development. The 2024 POPCEN-CBMS was designed to update the data and inventory of the country’s population, including the social registries of both the national government agencies and the local government units. Its implementation timeline is proposed from June to August 2024, with 01 June 2024 as the reference date. To ensure the smooth operations of the simultaneous 2024 POPCEN-CBMS, the following initiatives were strengthened through the approved PSA Board resolutions: a) the schedule of implementation and conduct of 2024 POPCEN-CBMS, b) creation of the Census-CBMS Coordinating Boards, c) declaring June 2024 as the National Census and Community-Based Monitoring System Month, and d) enjoining agencies to support the undertaking.
 

- Planning and Management Service, Office of the National Statistician