PSA highlights data-driven progress in Negros Occidental

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BACOLOD CITY — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Negros Occidental continues to bolster evidence-based policymaking and development planning through a series of critical statistical initiatives — the Fourth Level Training for the 2025 Updating of the List of Agricultural Farm Operators and Marine Fish Landing Centers (ULAFO-LMFLC), and the presentation of 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) preliminary results in the municipalities of Cauayan and Hinoba-an.

From August 11 to 15, 2025, 148 newly hired statistical researchers from Districts 3, 5, and 6 underwent rigorous training in Bacolod City to prepare for the 2025 ULAFO-LMFLC listing. This initiative aims to update the national registry of agricultural farm operators and inland fishing households and list marine fish landing centers for the first time.

“This training is vital in equipping our field workers with the technical and ethical competencies necessary to conduct accurate data collection,” said PSA Officer-in-Charge Diesah S. Biaoco in her opening remarks.

The five-day program combined theoretical instruction with hands-on exercises, preparing researchers to navigate digital tools and foster trust within farming and fishing communities. Serving as resource persons were regional and provincial focal personnel, PSA provincial office staff, and 18 team supervisors.

National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Undersecretary Claire Dennis S. Mapa, Ph.D., emphasized the broader relevance of the initiative. “The results of ULAFO and LMFLC are instrumental in building an improved sampling frame for future agricultural and fisheries surveys,” Mapa said. “Accurate and reliable field data is critical to delivering dependable production estimates and policy inputs.”

CBMS reveals initial data gaps in Cauayan and Hinoba-an

In addition to the training, PSA also presented preliminary findings of the 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System to local governments in the municipalities of Cauayan and Hinoba-an earlier in August.

On August 7, stakeholders gathered at the Sangguniang Bayan Hall in Cauayan to examine the CBMS data, which identifies poverty indicators and development gaps. “The data is key to enabling our local government to design responsive, targeted programs,” said Executive Assistant II Mariam Czarinna Quilaton, who represented the Mayor’s Office.

PSA’s Statistical Specialist II Fredimar Gonzales, together with District 6 Head Census Area Supervisors and support staff, presented the initial results and outlined the necessary steps for data turnover and further validation.

A day earlier, on August 6, the CBMS findings were also presented to the Municipality of Hinoba-an at its Municipal Hall. CBMS focal person and Senior Statistical Specialist Jerome C. Cadayona led the discussion, joined by PSA Interim Regional Director John F. Campomanes and Municipal Mayor Daph Anthony V. Reliquias.

Cadayona explained the value of the data, which includes information on housing, employment, education, and access to services. “The CBMS is a powerful tool for understanding the multi-dimensional nature of poverty at the household level,” he said.

Policy, planning, and future collaboration

The CBMS is mandated under Republic Act No. 11315, which institutionalizes the system as a primary tool for local development planning and poverty diagnosis. The initiative supports the national government’s social protection programs, aligning with long-term goals for inclusive growth and evidence-based governance.

The PSA reiterated that these efforts are not isolated but interconnected with broader development strategies. “Reliable statistics are the foundation of good governance,” said Biaoco. “Whether it’s the agricultural sector or local community development, data empowers both national and local governments to make smarter decisions.”

The data turnover process, which includes validation and harmonization with local planning offices, is expected to continue in the coming months, forming the basis for new policies and resource allocation in Negros Occidental.