Philippine Statistics Authority

Recognizing the need to further enhance the efficiency of the statistical system and improve the timeliness and accuracy of statistics for planning and decision making, the Philippine Statistical System (PSS) was restructured on January 30, 1987. The issuance of Executive Order 121[6] provided the basis for the structure of the decentralized PSS.

The PSS consist of statistical organizations at all administrative levels, its personnel and the national statistical program. Specifically, the organizations composing the system included the following:

• A policy-making and coordinating body – National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB)
• A single general-purpose statistical agency – National Statistics Office (NSO)
• A research and training arm – Statistical Research and Training Center (SRTC)
• Units of government engaged in statistical activities either as their primary function or as part of their administrative or regulatory functions

The major statistical agencies in the PSS included the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), National Statistics Office (NSO), Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES), Statistical Research and Training Center (SRTC), and the Department of Economic Statistics of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) was a successor organization to the Bureau of Agricultural Economics (BAECON) and was established on January 30, 1987, by virtue of Executive Order No. 116. It absorbed the Bureau of Fisheries Statistics, and was placed within the Department of Agriculture (DA).  It served as the principal government agency for the efficient collection, processing, analysis and dissemination of official statistics on agriculture and fisheries as inputs to policy and decision towards a sustainable agricultural development.[7]

In year 2000, the BAS structural organization was strengthened and reoriented pursuant to the relevant provisions of DA Administrative Order No. 6 series of 1998 in compliance with the provisions of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act or RA 8435 of 1997. This law designated BAS as the central information source and server of the National Information Network (NIN) of the Department of Agriculture.

It was also on January 30, 1987, when the Ministry of Labor and Employment was reorganized anew under Executive Order No. 126 and one of its provisions was the abolition of the Labor Statistics Service and the creation of the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) as one of the six bureaus of the department. It served as the statistical arm of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), BLES ensured the quality of data being generated by all agencies within the department. Its mandate was to "develop and prescribe uniform standards, nomenclatures and methodologies for the collection, processing, presentation and analysis of labor and employment data".[8]

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 121 as the highest policy-making and coordinating body on statistical matters in the country. Its major goal was to promote the independence, objectivity, integrity, responsiveness, and relevance of the Philippine Statistical System (PSS). It aimed to achieve the development of an orderly statistical system capable of providing timely, accurate and useful data for the planning, programming and evaluation needs of all sectors of the Philippine economy.[9]

The executive board was headed by the Director-General of the NEDA or his/her designated representative as chairman and assisted by the Undersecretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as vice-chairman. Other members of the Board consist of Undersecretaries of the remaining Departments as well as the Deputy Governor of the BSP, the Secretary General of the NSCB, the Administrator of the NSO, the executive director of the SRTC the Governor or City Mayor nominated by the League of Governors and City Mayors and a representative from the private sector who is elected by the Board.[10]

The National Statistics Office (NSO) (formerly known as Bureau of Census and Statistics) was the Philippine government's major statistical agency responsible for collecting, compiling, classifying, producing, publishing, and disseminating general-purpose statistics. The NSO also had the responsibility of carrying out and administering the provision of the Civil Registry Law including the archiving of birth, death and marriage and servicing requests for copies and certifications based on these documents as provided for in Act No. 3753 dated February 1931.[11]

The organization assumed its responsibilities when Commonwealth Act (C.A.) No. 591 was approved on August 19, 1940. It was then known as the Bureau of the Census and Statistics (BCS). It became the National Census and Statistics Office (NCSO) in 1974 until was renamed to be the National Statistics Office by Executive Order No. 121.[12] It was responsible for collecting, compiling, classifying, producing, publishing and disseminating general-purpose statistics and for carrying out and administering the provisions of the Civil Registry Law.[13]

The Philippine Statistics Authority was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 10625, otherwise known as the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013, which was signed into law by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on September 12, 2013.[3] It mandated the reorganization of the PSS and create PSA from merging the four major statistical agencies engaged in primary data collection and compilation of secondary data, namely BAS, BLES, NSCB and NSO.[14]

The Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) is the government's central identification platform for all citizens and resident aliens of the Philippines. An individual's record in the PhilSys shall be considered as an official and sufficient proof of identity. It was established through Republic Act No. 11055, which was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on August 6, 2018.[2]

PhilSys aims to eliminate the need to present other forms of identification when transacting with the government and the private sector, subject to appropriate authentication measures based on a biometric identification system. In addition, it aims to be a social and economic platform through which all transactions including public and private services can be availed of and shall serve as the link in the promotion of seamless service delivery, enhancing administrative governance, reducing corruption, strengthening financial inclusion and promoting ease of doing business.[2]

Information to be collected and stored under the PhilSys shall be limited to the following:  

• Demographic Data: Full Name; Sex; Date of Birth; Place of Birth; Blood Type; Address; Filipino or Resident Alien; Marital Status (optional); Mobile number (optional); and Email address (optional)
• Biometric Information: Front Facing Photograph; Full set of fingerprints; Iris scan; and If necessary, other identifiable features of an individual as may be determined in the implementing rules and regulations (IRR).

The PhilID can be used in all transactions requiring proof or verification of citizens or resident aliens' identity, such as, but not limited to the following: application for eligibility and access to social welfare and benefits granted by the government; application for services and benefits offered by GSIS, SSS, PhilHealth, HDMF, and other government agencies; applications for passports and driver's license; tax-related transactions; registration and voting identification purposes; admission to any government hospital, health center or similar institution; all other government transactions; application for admission in schools, colleges, learning institutions and universities, whether public or private; application and transaction for employment purposes; opening of bank accounts and other transactions with banks and other financial institutions; verification of cardholder's criminal records and clearances; such other transactions, uses or purposes, as may be defined in the IRR.[2]

The Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), which was established by Republic Act 11315 and was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on April 17, 2019, is an organized technology-based system of collecting, processing and validating necessary disaggregated data that may be used for planning, program implementation and impact monitoring at the local level which serves as basis in targeting households in the planning, budgeting and implementation of government programs geared towards poverty alleviation and economic development. In addition, it merges the methodologies used in data collection activities of all national agencies, geo-tagging, and the CBMS implemented by local government units (LGUs).

In addition, CBMS entails a census of households undertaken by the LGUs with the participation of the community using accelerated poverty profiling system in the data collection, processing, mapping and analysis of data.  Regular and synchronized data collection is to be conducted by every city and municipality every three years. The PSA is the lead agency in its implementation.