By Jong Cadion
PAGADIAN CITY NEWS - “Quality Social Protection Statistics for Focused Targeting: Improving Outcome, Changing Lives”, this year’s national theme for the 22nd celebration of National Statistics Month (NSM) that was started on October 1 to 31, 2011.
The activities were started last September 29, 2011 by the hanging and displaying of streamers from the different national and local government agencies here, the new Administrative Region in western Mindanao, Pagadian City.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – IX, Zamboanga Peninsula headed by its Regional Executive Director (RED) Arleigh J. Adorable joins the observance through the conduct of and participation in various statistical activities.
As early as September 29, 2011, a streamer was prepared and conspicuously displayed at the Office of the RED Compound, DENR, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur signaling the start of the celebration.
On October 3, 2011 at 8:00 AM, a fitting program was held at the DENR Regional Office which was attended by its officials and employees.
Planning and Management Division Chief Edgardo Montojo in his opening message illustrated how Statistics work in our everyday conversation or thinking. He said that in making predictions, Statistics uses the companion subject of Probability, which models chance mathematically and enables calculation of chance in complicated cases. He mentioned Statistics as a discipline which is concerned with designing experiments and other data collection; transform data into information; summarizing information to aid understanding; drawing conclusions from data; and estimating the present or predicting the future.
Today, Statistics has become an important tool in the work of many academic disciplines such as medicine, psychology, education, sociology, engineering & physics, just to name a few. Statistics is also important in many aspects of society such as business, industry and government. Because of the increasing use of Statistics in so many areas of our lives, it has become very desirable to understand and practice statistical thinking. This is important even if you do not use statistical methods directly, Montojo disclosed.
In a press statement by Hernanita A. Ascura said that the kick-off program of the NSM was also highlighted with an Information, Education and Communication (IEC) presentation entitled Climate Change: Coping with the Changes at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) Main Campus, Zamboanga City last October 3 which was attended by National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Arthur Valerio, Dept. of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Director Teodoro Romo, National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) Regional Chair Mewchun Pamaran, representatives from other government agencies and ADZU students, among others.
Upholding one of the thrusts/programs of ENR Secretary Ramon JP Paje in personnel development, the focal person on Statistics of Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Offices (PENROs) and Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (CENROs) in DENR-IX are encouraged by RED Adorable to participate in a live-out training on Basic Statistics Course on October 24-28, 2011 at the ADZU Main Campus in Zamboanga City.
This training will be conducted by the Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) Region IX in coordination with the Statistical Research and Training Center (SRTC), National Statistical Coordination Board R-IX, ADZU and the Philippine Statistical Association (PSA) - Zamboanga City Chapter.
The National Statistics Month (NSM) was first observed in 1990 pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 647 signed by then President Corazon C. Aquino on September 20, 1990, declaring the month of October of every year as the NSM.
The NSM celebration aims to promote, enhance and instill awareness and appreciation of the importance and value of Statistics to the different sectors of society; and to elicit the cooperation and support of the general public in upgrading the quality and standards in the country.
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PMD Chief Edgardo Montojo (from left) during the kick-off program of the 22nd National Statistics Month Celebration before the DENR-IX Official and Employees (right) at the Regional Office. (Photo by Rommel B. Pacardo)
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