NSO joins 2009 statistical association annual conference

Manila (29 September) — In response to the invitation of the Board of Directors and Officers of the Philippine Statistical Association (PSA), Inc., NSO-Laguna participated in the 2009 PSA Annual Conference. In behalf of PSO Magdalena T. Serqueña, SCO Nemesia A. Belen joined other PSOs/OIC PSO/Regional Statistician of Region IV-A CALABARZON in this event at the Philippine Social Science Center, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City on September 24-25, 2009.

The PSA was established on December 22, 1951 and from thereon, the annual conference was held to draw key policies that influence the growth and development of the Philippine Statistical System. For this year, the PSA has adopted the theme Statistics in a Multidisciplinary Setting to showcase the continued growing importance and relevance of statistics as a field of discipline.

The venue was filled with participants with high post from government like NSCB Secretary General Romulo A. Virola, SRTC Executive Director Gervacio G. Selda, Jr. and NEDA Director-Region IV-A CALABARZON Severino C. Santos; officers from private firms like Globe Telecom, Inc., TNS Global and Group M Philippines; academic professors and students from University of the Philippines, Western Visayas State University, Mindanao State University and Nueva Vizcaya State University; and print media. The day one activity was the opening ceremonies where former NSO Administrator, Mr. Tomas P. Africa, delivered the Welcome Remarks and Keynote Address by Dr. Roberto S. Mariano, Dean of School of Economics and Director of Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics of Singapore Management University. NSO Deputy Administrator Paula Monina G. Collado acted as the Master of Ceremonies.

Everybody were amazed with Dr. Mariano’s definition of Statistics as cool and sexy profession but he happily announced that Statistics is a promising career for the children as there is an increasing demand for statisticians according to New York News on August 5, 2009.

He commented, however, that there is a need to a proper blend of theory and practical application of statistics. He also mentioned the conduct of Health Retirement Survey in Singapore, Japan and Australia and the option of the SSS members to invest their account into equity with a guaranteed rate of return which is not practiced in the Philippines.

After the opening ceremonies, the participants were given a choice to where they would listen and participate with the sessions prepared by the Annual Conference Committee. The NSO participants attended the Health and Nutrition Statistics Session where Dr. Socorro D. Abejo, Chief of NSO Demographic and Social Statistics Division presented the Results of the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey.

Other speakers in this session were Senior Science Research Specialist Jocelyn A. Jaguan of Food and Nutrition Research Institute and Chairman Juan Pablo Ma. Nañagas, Structure Organization Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, Philippine National Health Research System. OIC Director Rosalinda P. Bautista of Household Statistics Department acted as moderator. Other session on the first day includes Statistics Education: Advocacies of the PSA, Business Intelligence, Statistics in Risk Management and Statistics in Market Research.

On day 2, the sessions continued on Evaluation of Opinion Polls, followed by Statistics in Local Governance and the Presentation of the Academe’s Roundtable Discussion.

On their closing remarks, PSA President Nieves L. Osorio thanked the speakers, discussants and the attendees for their support to the conference and reiterated the advocacy for the Philippine Statistical System while Vice-President Lisa Grace S. Bersales thanked the working committee for their job well done. (NSO/pia4a)