Guimaras Hosts First Data Festival, Highlights Role of Data in Development

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Guimaras province has launched its first-ever Data Festival, marking a significant step in its efforts to harness data for local development and effective governance.

The month-long event, spearheaded by the Provincial Statistics Committee of the Provincial Development Council, coincides with the celebration of the 35th National Statistics Month, themed “Advancing data and statistics through digital transformation: Road to an empowered nation.”

The Guimaras Data Festival aims to enhance data literacy and promote data-driven approaches through various activities, including a Data Expo, Guimaras Research Congress, #KabataanFIRST Data Summit, and Senior Citizens Congress. Other events include statistical infographics and logo design competitions, a data pitching challenge, and capacity-building workshops on data management and analysis.

Governor JC Rahman A. Nava emphasized the growing importance of data in formulating policies and programs for the welfare of the province.

“This is another milestone for the Province of Guimaras, and I’m so happy to note that we are gradually embracing the value of data in our province,” Nava said during the event’s opening ceremony.

He recalled how data was not given much importance over 20 years ago, but that has changed as Guimaras became one of the first provinces to develop provincial product accounts.

“From that time on, we gradually valued the availability of data and how it can contribute to us. Now we’re putting more emphasis on this by holding the first Data Festival, especially as we celebrate National Statistics Month,” Nava added.

The opening ceremony featured a Data Expo, trivia games, and the presentation of the 2023 Guimaras Ecological Profile.

The festival also includes the #KabataanFIRST Data Summit, a highlight event where students from the province’s five municipalities will participate. This aligns with Governor Nava’s Kabataan FIRST agenda, aimed at empowering the youth.

“We are thankful to all our partners and sectors in the province that depend on valuable data for decision-making. It’s important to start them young, so we need to create opportunities for students to appreciate the value of data,” Nava said.