The Philippine Statistical System (PSS) will hold the Ninth National Convention on Statistics (NCS) on October 4-5, 2004 to serve as a forum for practitioners and theoreticians in the field of statistics to discuss prevailing issues and emerging developments affecting the PSS. The conduct of the convention next year is an opportune time to consider the statistical requirements of the successor Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan which will provide the framework for the country's development goal and thrusts for the next six years. The convention involves presentation of papers on theoretical and practical applications of statistics in a number of scientific sessions, a session for students where they could discuss their dissertations and an exhibit of PSS and IT products. There are also plans to have as one of the sessions, a conference on official poverty statistics as a venue for practitioners of other countries and international institutions to discuss emerging techniques and approaches in poverty measurement.

Interested paper writers are therefore invited to signify their intention to present a paper by submitting the title and/or a one-page abstract of their paper to the Convention Secretariat. The initial list of topics of papers for the convention is as follows:

• Statistical theory and methodology
• Statistical computing
• Multivariate statistical modeling and data analysis
• Cybernetics and informatics
• Small-area statistics
• Statistical education
• Survey design
• Econometric modeling for development planning
• Statistics on business, industry and households
• Economic and social accounts
• Sectoral statistics, e.g., agriculture, agrarian reform, environment and natural resources, energy, trade and industry, income and prices, banking and finance, labor and employment, productivity, health and nutrition, education, tourism, and science and technology, etc.
• Poverty statistics
• Gender statistics
• Indicators of the knowledge-based economy
• Subnational/Community level statistical information system
• Statistical packaging and data dissemination
• Interactive statistical databases
• Statistical capacity building
• Student session

The holding of the NCS in October 2004 is pursuant to NSCB resolution No. 6, series of 2000, which provided for the conduct of the NCS every three years starting in 2001 when the 8th NCS was held. The convention is participated in by statisticians and professionals from the government, academe and private sector in all geographic areas of the country. Prospective participants are thus also encouraged to consider the 9th NCS as one of their human resource development activities for next year.

Inquiries on the submission of papers and other details on the 9th NCS can be directed to the following designated focal point at the NSCB:

Programs, Policies and Advocacy Division
c/o Ms. Leticia D. de Leon or Mr. Juan O. Miralles
2F Midland Buendia Bldg.
403 Sen. Gil J. Puyat, Avenue
Makati City, Metro Manila

Telephone no. 890-9404, telefax no. 895-2436
Email address: ncs@nscb.gov.ph.

Interested parties can access the NCS website (http://www.nscb.gov.ph/ncs) for further guidelines on the submission of paper and other relevant information.

ROMULO A. VIROLA
Secretary General