The Philippine Statistics Authority - Regional Statistical Services Office I (PSA - RSSO l) as Secretariat and member attended the first virtual meeting of the Regional Statistics Committee I (RSC l) for the 2nd Quarter of this year on June 24, 2020. Attending onsite from PSA - RSSO I were. RSC I Vice-chairperson and PSA - RSSO I Officer-in-Charge (OlC) Atty. Sheila O. De Guzman; the Secretariat headed by Chief Statistical Specialist (CSS) Juanito Y. Yabes; and CSS of PSA - La Union, llocos Norte and llocos Sur. The CSS of PSA - Pangasinan participated virtually.

Twenty-one (21) of the RSC I members joined via video conferencing while members from Philippine Statistical Association, lnc. (PSAI) Region I Chapter, Department of Education (DepEd) and NEDA were onsite at the Justo O. Orros Conference Hall, NEDA RO l.

Through the conduct of this meeting, Resolution No. 04, s. 2020 was approved which proposed that the Best Provincial Statistics Committee (PSC) Award will be a part of the National Statistics Month (NSM) celebration. The PSC Award will allow the RSC-1 to evaluate and recognize the performance of PSCs in their statistical policy-making functions, as well as gauge the effectiveness of the policies implemented along data generation, utilization, dissemination, and in strengthening their institutions and linkages. The annual award will cover the year immediately preceding the year of the NSM celebration.

Similarly, approved through Resolution No. 05, s. 2020 was the establishment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Watch for llocos Region. The SDG Watch wrll provide status on the progress of the region in achieving SDGs based on indicators identified. PSA - RSSO I will develop and maintain an SDG page on its website. The SDG lndicators Database will be compiled and maintained, as well as the preparation of the SDG Watch. Moreover, regular reports to the committee updates on the monitoring of the SDG indicators of the region will be done as well.

The members of the committee were also informed on the Stochastic Frontier Model of the University of the Philippines - School of Urban and Regional Planning (UP-SURP) as basis in determining urban growth areas; the 2019 Social Welfare Statistics by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); the 2020 Gender Statistics for Region l; and commitments of member agencies of the Regional, Provincial, and City/Municipal Census Coordinating Boards (RCCB, PCCB, M/CCB) in the conduct of the 2020 Census of Population and Housing.

The RSC is the regional counterpart of the PSA Executive Board that formulates policy measures in the form of resolutions to address statistical issues and challenges at the regional and sub-regional level.

SGD. ATTY. SHEILA O. DE GUZMAN
(Chief Administrative Officer)
Officer-in-Charge

JYY/MBF/JIAB