The Municipality of Santa Maria envisions a local government that improves the lives of its constituents, a dream that is becoming a reality as it ties a collaborative project with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) through the implementation of the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) in 2022.

The Local Government Unit (LGU) took part in the 2022 CBMS operations and successfully completed its data processing, which thoroughly checks its consistency, completeness, and accuracy.

The data turnover ceremony signifies the LGU Santa Maria’s readiness to prepare and generate tabulations required for local planning, policy formulation, and project implementation.

On 06 February 2024, the PSA – Ilocos Sur conducted the Data Turnover Ceremony (DTC) in the Municipality of Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur. The LGU under the leadership of Hon. Brigido Camarillo, represented by the Municipal Administrator Engr. Gregorio Roa Jr., Sangguniang Bayan Member (SBMs) department heads, including the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator(MPDC) – Raymond Sinay and barangay officials, joined and witnessed the said activity.

Furthermore, the program gained significance with the esteemed presence of Atty. Sheila O. De Guzman, the Regional Director of the PSA Regional Statistical Services Office I who warmly welcomed participants and audiences to the event. Ms. Jeanette M. Marzan, the Chief Statistical Specialist of PSA - Ilocos Sur, pres   ented the key highlights of the 2022 CBMS results in Santa Maria.

Municipal Administrator eagerly welcomed the long-awaited availability of their data expressing heartfelt appreciation to the PSA for providing essential information to address constituents' needs, marking a significant milestone for the LGU. He emphasized that the data will serve as a driving force for the LGU to come up with sustainable programs and projects of the LGU.

The LGU of Santa Maria has expressed its willingness to use CBMS data for local planning and to generate the necessary information for their upcoming plans and programs, as highlighted by MPDC Sinay and the Data Turnover Agreement was formally signed by key officials from PSA and the LGU.

Implementing the CBMS in the Municipality of Santa Maria is just one way to re-calibrate the LGU in terms of generating evidence-based and accurate data for local data planning, policy formulation, and program intervention in order to achieve the nation's goal of becoming a progressive community.

The Municipality of Santa Maria is on a mission to improve the well-being of its residents, and they've taken an important step toward that goal by launching the CBMS in 2022 in collaboration with the PSA.

The data turnover serves as an important checkpoint for the LGU, allowing them to appreciate and generate information gathered from household respondents and barangay officials—key informants during the enumeration process. The LGU is taking an important step toward recalibrating its approach to producing accurate and reliable data.

This CBMS implementation in Santa Maria is more than a formality; it is a strategic move to realign the local government's data planning, policy formulation, and program interventions. An initiative that contributes to the overarching national goal of fostering community progress.

SGD. JEANETTE M. MARZAN
Chief Statistical Specialist