THE Cebu Provincial Government is taking a big step toward smarter governance. On Thursday, April 9, the newly formed Cebu Provincial Statistics Committee (PSC) met for the first time to address a major problem: missing data from local towns and cities.
Many local government units (LGUs) have failed to hire professional statisticians, even though a national law (Republic Act 11315) requires it. Without these experts, it is difficult for the government to track poverty and development accurately.
To fix this, the committee created a Technical Working Group (TWG). This team, which includes experts from the University of the Philippines Cebu and other top schools, will investigate why towns are struggling to hire these specialists and help them comply with the law.
Governor Pamela Baricuatro’s administration wants to ensure that every decision made for the province is based on real facts and reliable numbers.
The Goal: A first draft of the Provincial Development Plan is expected by October.
The Team: The committee has grown to 27 members to ensure more government agencies are working together to share data. CDF