The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) – La Union, with the assistance of the Community-Based Statistics Service (CBSS) and other resource speakers from PSA – Regional Statistical Services Office I (RSSO I) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), conducted the seven-day 2021 Pilot Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) Municipal Level Training to hired field personnel on September 27-30, 2021 and October 15-17, 2021 at Marand Resort and Spa, Baccuit Sur, Bauang, La Union adhering to minimum health and safety protocols in light of the current health situation due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Pilot CBMS training aimed to equip the hired field personnel with the necessary knowledge and skills in preparation for the implementation of 2021 Pilot CBMS in San Gabriel, La Union starting October 18, 2021.  Concepts and definitions and detailed instructions on how to properly accomplish the Household Profile Questionnaires (HPQ), using both the Paper-Assisted Personal Interview (PAPI) and Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI), were thoroughly discussed to the hired Census Area Supervisor (CAS), Team Supervisors (TS), and Enumerators (ENs).  In addition, the Barangay Profile Questionnaire (BPQ), CBMS Forms, and health and safety protocols on data collection were also discussed to properly carry out the field operations while strictly abiding with health and safety protocols during interviews.

The CBMS 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 while empowering communities to participate in the process. It involves the generation of data at the local level, which serves as a basis in targeting households in the planning, budgeting, and implementation of government programs geared towards poverty alleviation and economic development. This system merges the methodologies used in data collection activities of all national agencies, geotagging, and the CBMS implemented by local government units (LGUs). It entails a census of households undertaken by the LGUs with the participation of the community using an accelerated poverty profiling system in the data collection, processing, mapping, and analysis of data. The CBMS will generate the compendium of localized facts, figures, and maps on the different dimensions of poverty, such as health, nutrition, water, sanitation, shelter, education, income, employment, security, and participation.

Under Republic Act No. 11315, otherwise known as the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) Act approved on April 17, 2019, and the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) signed on May 20, 2020, the PSA is mandated to implement the CBMS.

The data collection for the 2021 Pilot CBMS will run from October 18, 2021 to December 20, 2021, covering all the households in San Gabriel,
La Union. ###

SGD. DANITES E. TEÑIDO, Ph.D.
Chief Statistical Specialist

/MAQ