Iloilo towns adopt data-driven approach to population, development work

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Local government units (LGUs) in Iloilo are moving toward a more data-driven approach to population and development work following the recent signing of an agreement between the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) and the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Iloilo chapter.

The agreement formalizes the commitment of municipalities to institutionalize population and development programs at the local level.

“We are now cascading the population and development program to the municipal level, and this becomes the groundwork,” said LMP Iloilo President and Badiangan Mayor Suzette Mamon in an interview.

She pointed out that the population office has expanded its function.

“It’s not only about contraceptives anymore—it now includes data banking and data gathering that LGUs can use for their development plans. This is now the direction for municipalities,” she explained, noting that having the entire LMP on board allows all mayors to participate in and benefit from the initiative.

She also emphasized that having population officers in municipalities allows CPD to coordinate more closely with LGUs, enabling more efficient implementation and monitoring.

With data consolidation also becoming a key aspect of the partnership, Mamon said LGUs will be able to share local population information with CPD for regional and national planning.

“The trend now should be scientific in planning. We cannot make assumptions in our projections, long-term plans. We need data to support the same,” she stressed.

Meanwhile, in a separate interview on Dec. 9, CPD Western Visayas Regional Director Harold Alfred Marshall said the agreement represents a renewed push to align local implementation with the Philippine Population and Development Plan of Action 2023–2026.

He explained that the agency’s functions have already been devolved to provincial, city, and municipal governments, and the memorandum of understanding helps reinforce collaboration by ensuring LGUs remain engaged in carrying out the program.

The partnership places emphasis on key areas such as responsible parenthood and family planning, along with adolescent health and development, which CPD aims to strengthen through local-level execution.