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The year-on-year inflation rate in the Ilocos Region continued to accelerate, reaching 7.9 percent in April 2008. The April 2008 inflation rate was up by 5.7 percentage points from its level in the same period last year and higher by 2.5 percentage points compared to the previous month It was the highest in the past two years.

Final results of the 2007 Census of Population (POPCEN) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed that Region 1 had a population of 4,545,906 as of August 1, 2007. The results were released by the NSO through Proclamation No. 1489 signed by President Arroyo on April 16, 2008.

Estimates of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) showed that Region 1’s poverty incidence among families increased to 26.2 percent in 2006 compared to 24.4 percent in 2003. This is, however, lower than the 29.5 percent poverty incidence in 2000. In terms of poverty incidence among population, 33 out of 100 Ilocanos were poor in 2006 compared to 30 in 2003.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Regional Division 1 conducted two batches of training on the DevInfo 5 software for the sources of indicators for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in the region. The training is part of the “Program Monitoring, Database and Rights-based MDGs”Project of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Office 1 with NSCB as one of its co-partners and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) providing the financial assistance.

The Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) I, the highest policy making and coordinating body on statistical matters in the region, approved 16 resolutions in 2007.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) are currently undertaking the project “Program Monitoring, Database and Rights-based Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)”in Region 1.

The celebration of the 18^th National Statistics Month (NSM) in Region 1 formally closed on October 26, 2007 with the Joint Regional and La Union NSM Closing Ceremony at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Seminar Room in San Fernando City, La Union. The highlight of the program was the Statistical Symposium, with Dr. Romulo A. Virola, Secretary General of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), as guest of honor and speaker.

The Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) I will conduct a special meeting on October 19, 2007 to discuss the statistical problems and issues affecting the subnational statistical system. The meeting aims to present the subnational statistical issues and concerns as contained in the paper presented by the RSCC I Chair and NEDA Regional Director, Director Leonardo N. Quitos, Jr., during the 10th National Convention on Statistics on October 2, 2007 at the EDSA Shangri-la Hotel in Mandaluyong City. After the presentation of the issues and concerns, the Committee will discuss how to address the issues and concerns for the improvement of Region 1’s statistical system.

To upgrade the statistical capability of government personnel in Region 1, the Statistical Research and Training Center (SRTC), in collaboration with the Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) in Region 1, will conduct the Training on Statistical Reporting Writing on September 3-7, 2007 at Hotel Mikka in San Fernando City, La Union.

Pursuant to NSCB Memorandum Circular No.002-07 dated June 18, 2007, “Enjoining All Agencies of the Government at the National and Subnational levels, and the Private Sector to Actively Participate in and Support the celebration of the 18th National Statistics Month (NSM) in October 2007,”the Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) is requesting the various offices in the region including the local government units to submit their calendar of activities for the celebration of the 18th NSM.

Three papers from Region 1 will be presented during the 10th National Convention on Statistics (NCS) which will be held on October 1-2, 2007 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Mandaluyong City.

The Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) I, the highest policy-making and coordinating body on statistical matters in the region, approved 10 resolutions during its 1st regular meeting on April 26, 2007.

The Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) I, the highest policy making and coordinating body on statistical matters in the region, approved its policy agenda for 2007 during its 1st regular meeting on April 26, 2007. The policy agenda contains the resolutions which the RSCC plans to issue during the year to address statistical problems and issues affecting the region. It also contains the statistical reports and other concerns which will be discussed during the four regular meetings of the Committee. The RSCC policy agenda could be accessed at http://www.nscb.gov.ph/ru1/2007 policy agenda.

The Philippine Statistical Association (PSA): Region I Chapter announced its various activities in 2007 during the statistics seminar conducted on April 2, 2007 at the World ORT Conference Room in San Fernando City, La Union. The PSA: Region I Chapter plans to conduct the following activities in 2007: 1) Regional Statistics Quiz (Oct); 2) Teachers’Training on Statistics (Oct-Nov); 3) Publication of Newsletter (July and January); and 4) General Assembly and Christmas Program (December). The Chapter Council will also conduct bi-monthly meetings.

Data sources of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) indicators in Region 1 are in the process of updating their data to serve as basis in monitoring the progress of attainment of the region’s MDGs.

To promote transparency, accessibility and timeliness of government information, the regional offices of Region 1 prepared their 2007 Advance Release Calendars (ARCs) of Statistical Outputs/Data to inform the public as to what and when statistics generated by their offices become available.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Regional Division I (RD I) announces the release of the “2006 Regional Social and Economic Trends (RSET), Ilocos Region.”The publication is available in printed and CD ROM copies.

The Philippine Statistical Association (PSA): Region 1 Chapter conducted a statistics forum on December 19, 2006 at the Conference Room of the NEDA Regional Office 1 in San Fernando City, La Union. Presented during the forum were the results of the Survey on Hunger Incidence in the Philippines by Ms. Wilma Guillen of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, and provincial and municipal poverty statistics by Ms. Irenea B. Ubungen of the National Statistical Coordination Board. The forum was attended by the members of the PSA Region 1 Chapter.

Data from the National Electrification Administration (NEA) revealed that the average systems rate (ASR) of electric cooperatives (ECs) in Region I went up by 32.8 percent in 2005, higher by P1.76 per KwH as compared to the P5.37 per KwH in 2004. ASR is also the selling rate for electricity.

To address the issue on the unavailability of quarterly regional and provincial data on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) Region I issued Resolution No. 19, s. 2006 requesting concerned data sources to generate data on OFWs from their administrative records.

The Province of Pangasinan bagged the 2006 Best National Statistics Month (NSM) Province while the “Symposium/Forum (Municipal Level)”of the Department of Education-Division of Pangasinan II won the Best NSM Activity in this year’s Search for the Best NSM Province and Activity conducted by the Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) Region 1 for the 17th NSM celebration.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Regional Division (RD) I announces the release of the poverty maps for the Province of Ilocos Sur for the years 2000 and 2003. The maps come in printed and CD-ROM format.

Visitor arrivals in Region I declined by 4.8 percent in 2005 compared to the 301,003 tourist arrivals in 2004. The decrease was attributed to the 1.2 percent drop in the number of domestic/balikbayan travelers, which accounted 84.5 percent of the total number of tourist arrivals in the region. Likewise, foreign visitors in the region decreased by 20.8 percent in the same year.

The Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) issued four resolutions during its third regular meeting on November 8, 2006. The resolutions issued pertain to the celebration of the National Statistics Month (NSM) in the region and on the evaluation report on the pilot-testing of the generation of data from the business licensing system in Ilocos Norte.

The province of Ilocos Norte has completed the pilot-testing of the generation of data from the Business Licensing System (BLS), a joint activity of the province, through the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), and the Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) Region I. The pilot activity was conducted to address the demand for data with lower level disaggregation.

One of the youngest cities in the Ilocos Region, Alaminos is a 5th class city at the western part of the Province of Pangasinan.

The month-long 17th NSM celebration in Region I formally opened through a Joint Regional and La Union Provincial Opening Ceremony on October 2, 2006 at the Seminar Room of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) La Union Regional Office I, San Fernando City, La Union.

Sericulture, commonly known as “silkworm rearing”for the production of raw silk, is one of the promising fiber crops industry that has become competitive not only in the Ilocos Region but nationwide. To determine its economic viability in the Ilocos Region, the Sericulture Research and Development Institute (SRDI) under the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) in Bacnotan, La Union will conduct the study “Economics of the Sericulture Industry”in collaboration with the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA)/Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI).

The Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) I, the highest policy-making and coordinating body on statistical matters in the region, approved 12 resolutions during its 2nd regular meeting on July 27, 2006.

The 17th National Statistics Month (NSM) celebration in the Ilocos Region will formally open on October 2, 2006, 8:30 AM, with a Joint Regional and La Union Provincial Opening Ceremony to be held at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Seminar Room, City of San Fernando, La Union.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Regional Division (RD) I releases the maiden issue of the "Countryside in Figures (CIF): Ilocos Norte (2006 edition). This is in line with NSCB’s commitment to provide relevant and more disaggregated statistics at the local level.

The region’s investments in leading industries/sectors in the 2nd quarter of 2006 reached P112.2 M, down by 74.8 percent from the same period of last year. Construction, which accounted for 74.1 percent of the P445.9 million investments in the 2nd quarter of 2005, contributed only P14.6 million in the 2nd quarter of 2006.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Regional Division (RD) I announces the release of the poverty maps for the Province of La Union for 2004. The maps come in printed and CD-ROM format and is an update of the 2002 poverty maps released in 2004.

The Ilocos-Pangasinan Region, with an overall average of 63.9 percent in all subject areas, ranked third nationwide in the National Achivement Test (NAT) for Grade VI for SY 2004-2005. Test results showed that the Grade VI pupils in the region had near mastery levels in Mathematics at 65.8 percent, English at 64.6 percent, Filipino at 65.6 percent and Hekasi at 64.5 percent. Meanwhile, the mean test results for Science, at 58.9 percent, posted the lowest in the region’s achievement rates though it is still near mastery level.

The percentage share of Northern Luzon to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) continued to decline from 7.6 percent in 2002 to 7.2 percent in 2005. This was on account of the decreasing percentage contribution of all the regions and the major sectors of Northern Luzon. This calls for the implementation of more development programs and projects in the area.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), thru the Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) I, granted clearance to the survey of the City Government of San Fernando entitled “Comprehensive Survey for Future Trends.”The information that will be gathered from the survey will serve as basis of the City Government in the formulation of plans and programs for the efficient delivery of basic services as provided for in the Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160).

The economy of the Ilocos Region recorded a 6.0 percent growth in 2005, the fourth highest among the 17 regions of the country, outpacing its 5.4 percent growth in 2004. The region contributed 0.2 percentage point to the 5.0 percent growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product in 2005, same as its contribution the previous year.

Private higher education institutions (HEIs) in the region effected an average of P23.56 in tuition fee increase for SY 2005-2006. This is lower by around 13.6 percent of the tuition fee increase effected during the SY 2004-2005. HEIs in Ilocos Norte had the highest tuition fee increase at P32.02, up by 36.8 percent from the previous school year. Ilocos Sur, on the other hand, implemented the lowest tuition fee increase at a reduced amount of P18.41 in SY 2005-2006 from a high of P38.67 in SY 2004-2005.

Albeit the continued increase in tuition fees in private HEIs, the number of enrollees increased by 11.3 percent in SY 2005-2006. Enrollees in State Colleges and Universities, meanwhile, dropped by 9. 2 percent, from 44,188 the previous school year. to 40,105 in SY 2005-2006. (Source of Data: CHED Regional Office I)

The total collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Regional Office I reached PhP 4.416 million in 2005, an increase of 36.8 percent from the PhP 3.227 million total collections in 2004. Likewise, the amount surpassed the 2005 target collection, amounting to PhP 3.519 million, by 25.5 percent.

The Ilocos Region is projected to be inhabited by over 5 million people in 2010. With an estimated 2.0 percent growth rate in 2005-2010, around 98,040 persons will be added every year to the region’s population. Although the region’s population growth rate will eventually slow down to about 1.0 percent during the period 2035-2040, more than 3 million people would have been added to the region’s population from 2005-2040.

The Department of Agriculture Regional Office 1 will conduct the study “Commodity Market Research for High Value Commodity Crops (HVCCs) “to determine the supply and distribution of selected high value commodities in Northern Luzon.

Properties with an estimated value of P101.1 million went to smoke in the Ilocos Region in 2005 as the region recorded a total of 269 fire incidences. Albeit a lower number of incidences recorded compared to the 301 in 2004, the estimated value of damages was 33.0 percent higher than in 2004. The most common origin/cause of fires was electrical as it accounted for 27.5 percent of the total fire incidences in the region followed by open flame at 11.9 percent. Majority of the fires were structural in nature (73.6 percent) and were found unintentional (66.9 percent).

Ilocos Norte, meanwhile, had the most number of incidences among the provinces with 143 but La Union had the highest estimated value of damages at around P42.0 million.

The Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) I, the highest policy-making and coordinating body on statistical matters in the region, approved three resolutions during its first regular meeting on April 17, 2006 at the NEDA Regional Office 1 in San Fernando City, La Union. The resolutions issued were : Resolution No. 1 –Approving the RSCC Policy Agenda for 2006; Resolution No. 2 –Approving the Updated Gender and Development (GAD) Indicator System of Region 1; and Resolution No. 3 –Requesting the DENR Regional Office 1 to Continue the Generation of Data on Salt Production, Sales and Employment for the Estimation of the GRDP of the Region.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Regional Division (RD) I, the designated repository of MDG indicators in the region, releases the first issue of the Ilocos-Pangasinan Region Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Watch for 2006. The MDG Regional Watch contains the baseline and latest data, and the probability of attainment of the MDG targets from the baseline year to 2015. The first issue of the Regional MDG Watch contains 32 indicators which were sourced from the data producers in the region. The NSCB RD 1 shall also be releasing the first issue of the Provincial MDG Watch in May. The Regional and Provincial MDG Watch shall be updated quarterly.

The annual per capita poverty threshold, which is the minimum income required by a person to satisfy the food requirements and other basic needs, in the Ilocos-Pangasinan Region increased to PhP 14,198 in 2004 compared to the previous year’s PhP 13,276 based on the preliminary estimates released by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Central Office. Hence, a family of five members would require at least PhP 70,990 a year or PhP 5,916 a month to meet their essential needs.

Men continued to win a greater number of electoral positions than their women counterparts at the district, provincial and municipal levels. In the 1998, 2001 and 2004 elections, there were about two women for every ten men winners. The highest representation for women in the legislative body was in the Congress with one out of 12 positions in the 2001 and 2004 elections.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Regional Division (RD) I announces the release of the third edition of the Women and Men (WAM) in the Ilocos Region Statistical Handbook. The WAM is the NSCB’s contribution to the efforts of the region for the institutionalization of Gender and Development (GAD). Likewise, it supports the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which are the world’s time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty and ensuring human development, particularly the goal on the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women.

The number of applicants for land-based overseas employment increased by 19.5 percent in January 2006 as compared to January 2005. The number of applicants to Special Recruitment Agencies (agencies sanctioned by PESO and POEA) which constitute about 71.3 percent of the total land-based applicants, grew by 19.9 percent. There were slightly more men, with a 51.7 percent share and growth rate of 180 percent, than women applicants, with a negative 25.6 percent growth.

Among the municipalities/cities of Region 1, Sugpon in Ilocos Sur had the highest poverty incidence at 73.1 percent in 2000. Sigay, another Ilocos Sur municipality, came in next with a poverty incidence of 72.1 percent. Interestingly, the top two municipalities/cities with lowest poverty incidences were also in Ilocos Sur, i.e Sta. Catalina with a poverty incidence of 7.9 percent and Vigan City with a poverty incidence of 8.6 percent. These are among the results of the Poverty Mapping Project implemented by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) with funding assistance from the World Bank ASEM Trust Fund in response to the increasing demand for local level poverty estimates. The complete output of the project can be accessed at the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC) library which is open to the public for free, Monday-Friday, from 8:00 am –5:00 pm (no noon break). The NSIC Region 1 Branch is located at the 2nd Flr., LM Chan Bldg., 663 Quezon Ave. San Fernando City, La Union.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Regional Division (RD) I releases the maiden issue of the “Countryside in Figures (CIF): La Union (2005 edition). ”This is in line with the thrust of the NSCB to provide the public with comprehensive socio-economic data with subregional level disaggregation.

La Union was chosen as the Best National Statistics Month (NSM) Province while the “1st Lecture Forum on Statistical Updates”of the University of Northern Philippines (UNP) was adjudged as the Best NSM Activity in this year’s Search for the Best NSM Province and Activity conducted by the Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC) for the 16th NSM celebration. The winners were announced during the 4th RSCC regular meeting on December 12, 2005. The prizes of the winners were also awarded during the meeting.

The women in the Ilocos-Pangasinan Region continue to be active in the public order, safety and justice sector. Nowadays, the tasks of maintaining public order, safety and justice is not a job for men alone. Women are given equal oppor-tunity to serve and per-form the same du-ties as that of the men. However, their participation still remains to be low compared to their men counterpart.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Regional Division I (RD I) announces the release of the “2005 Regional Social and Economic Trends (RSET), Ilocos Region”. The publication is available in printed and CD ROM copies. The 2005 RSET presents data on various sectors of the region and its component provinces, cities and municipalities. It consists of 17 chapters covering 17 sectors of the society. Each chapter of the publication has brief sectoral highlights, statistical tables and charts/graphs to better guide the data users in their analysis of regional trends. The performance of the region in both social and economic sectors is also discussed in the overview of the region.

The month-long celebration of the 16th National Statistics Month (NSM) will formally kick off on October 3, 2005, 9:00 AM, with a Joint Regional and La Union Provincial Opening Ceremony to be held at the Diego Silang Hall, Provincial Capitol, City of San Fernando, La Union. Along with the opening ceremony, the Bureau of Agriculture Statistics (BAS), the host agency for this year’s NSM, will present the “The Role of Quality Statistics for the Agriculture and Fishery Sector “while the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) will present the “Key Directions/Goals of the Agriculture and Fishery Sector”.

The NSCB issues the following errata due to a computational error in the estimation of the gross value added (GVA) for the “other crops”component under the agriculture subsector of the National Accounts of the Philippines as of May 2005. The error resulted in the underestimation of the levels for ‘other crops’, which affected the estimated levels for "agricultural services", and subsequently, the levels for agricul-ture, fishe-ry and forestry (AFF) and gross domestic product (GDP) as reflected in the National Accounts of the Philippines (NAP) published as of May 2005 and gross regional domestic product (GRDP) published as of July 2005.

What would improve enrollment in government secondary schools? Building new schools may not be the answer for Region I.

On December 2, 1999, the City of Vigan, the capital city of Ilocos Sur, was inscribed in the prestigious UNESCO’s World Heritage List of Sites and Monuments of 630 cultural and natural properties of exceptional universal value. UNESCO described the city as “a best preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia with its architecture reflecting the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines and from China with those of Europe to create a unique culture and townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.”

March

Ilocos Norte was adjudged as the Best National Statistics Month (NSM) Province while the Training on Integrated Socio-Economic and Development Planning (SEDP) cum Computer application of La Union was chosen as the Best NSM activity in the Search for Best NSM Province and Activity launched by the Regional Statistical Coorination Committee (RSCC) in 2004.

Fifty-six statistical outputs were added to the wide array of statistical outputs at the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC) in Region I in January 2005. These outputs include data and publications on the following sectors: agriculture, economic accounts, education and manpower, labor and income, public order, safety and justice, prices, statistical system, social welfare, transportation, and trade. The public can access these materials for free at the NSIC I, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (no noon break) during weekdays.

Data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) revealed the dependency of the Local Government Units (LGUs) to the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA). For the years 2002 and 2003, more than 70 percent of the LGUs’total financial resources were sourced out from the IRA. This indicates that without the IRA, LGU operations would be greatly affected as around P6 B will not be available for the LGUs to spend

Sixty-eight statistical outputs were added to the wide array of statistical outputs at the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC) in Region I in November 2004. These outputs include data and publications on the following sectors: agriculture, economic accounts, education and manpower, environment and natural resources, finance, industry, labor and income, public order, safety and justice, prices, statistical system, transportation and trade. The public can access these materials for free at the NSIC I, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (no noon break) during weekdays.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Regional Division I (RD I) announces the release of the “2004 Regional Social and Economic Trends (RSET), Ilocos Region”. The publication is available in printed and CD Rom copies.

The month long celebration of the 15th National Statistics Month (NSM) in Region I concluded with a Joint Regional and (La Union) Provincial Closing Ceremony on October 29, 2004 at the Diego Silang Hall, La Union Provincial Capitol, San Fernando City. The event was sponsored by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, La Union Regional Office and the Provincial Government of La Union.

High school students from the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) –Batac and college students from the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) –Southern La Union Campus (SLUC) won in the Regional Statistics Quiz (RSQ) held on October 26, 2004 at the DMMMSU –Graduate College Campus in San Fernando City, La Union.

The Ilocos Region was adjudged the Best National Statistics Month (NSM) Region in 2003. It bested the other three regions (Regions 2, 6 and 8) who joined the contest based on the following criteria: diversity of activities undertaken, extent of participation of cooperating agencies, and local government units, conveys favorable image of the region, economy, ingenious use of resources and resourcefulness.

The month-long celebration of the National Statistics Month (NSM) formally started in the Ilocos Region with a joint Regional and (La Union) Provincial Opening Ceremony last October 1, 2004 at the Diego Silang Hall Provincial Capitol, San Fernando City, La Union. The opening ceremony was hosted by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and was co-sponsored by the Provincial Government of La Union.

CIF Pangasinan Now Available

In line with its thrust of continuously providing the public with comprehensive socio-economic data with subregional level disaggregation, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), Regional Division (RD) I, releases the first edition of The Countryside in Figures (CIF): Pangasinan (2004 Edition).

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has just released its Q3 2004 Accomplishment Report and the September 2004 data on the Number of Motor Vehicles Registered. The provincial and city data of the said outputs are available at the National Statistical Information Center housed at the NSCB Regional Division I.

Seventy-six statistical outputs were added to the wide array of statistical outputs at the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC) in Region I in September 2004. These outputs include data and publications on the following sectors: agriculture, economic accounts, education and manpower, environment and natural resources, finance, industry, labor and income, public order, safety and justice, prices, statistical system, transportation and trade. The public can access these materials for free at the NSIC I, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (no noon break) during weekdays.

The 15th National Statistics Month celebration kicks off in Region I on October 1, 2004 with a Regional Opening Ceremony at the Diego Silang Hall, Provincial Capitol, San Fernando City, La Union at 8:30 a.m.The General Manager of PLDT San Fernando Exchange Office, Mr. Gerardo Marquez, will be the guest of honor and speaker.

The National Statistical Coordination Board announces the release of the 2001-2003 Gross Regional Domestic Expenditure (GRDE). The GRDE is the expenditure of resident institutional sectors of the region in the domestic territory plus their expenditures in other regions including the rest of the world. The GRDE includes regional estimates on the following: Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE), Government Consumption Expenditure (GCE), Gross Domestic Capital Formation, and Per Capita Personal Consumption. Data from the publication show that Ilocos Region’s expenditure on Gross Regional Domestic Product amounted to Php32.3 billion in 2003 manifesting 3.5 percent growth from Php 31,156,742 in 2002.

Thirty-four statistical outputs were added to the wide array of statistical outputs at the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC) in Region I in August 2004. These outputs include data and publications on the following sectors:agriculture, environment and natural resources, finance, health, labor and income, multi-sector, public order, safety and justice, prices, statistical system, social welfare, transportation and trade. The public can access these materials for free at the NSIC I, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (no noon break) during weekdays.

Forty-four statistical outputs were added to the wide array of statistical outputs at the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC) in Region I in July 2004. These outputs include data and publications on the following sectors: construction, economic accounts, education and manpower, finance, general governance, health, labor and income, public order, safety and justice, prices, tourism, and transportation. The public can access these materials for free at the NSIC I, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (no noon break) during weekdays.

July

The Ilocos Region’s economy, measured by the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), increased by 3.5 percent in 2003. However, the year marked a slower growth rate than the recorded 4.3 percent in 2002 with the Industry sector contributing to the decelerated performance of the region.

Data of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Regional Office I showed that there were 78 Children in Conflict with the Law (CICLs) who were detained in BJMP jails in 2003.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has released four statistical outputs, which include the following: 1) Regional Non-Metallic Price Monitor, Oct-Dec 2003; 2) Production, Sales and Employment of Non-Metallic Minerals, Q4 2003-Q1 2004; 3) Mining Tenements Statistics Report, Jan-Mar 2004;and 4) Production, Sales and Employment Data for Non-Minerals Other than Sand and Gravel. Provincial data of the said outputs are available at the National Statistical Information Center housed at the NSCB Regional Division I.

Sixty-six statistical outputs were added to the wide array of statistical outputs at the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC) in Region I in May 2004. These outputs include data and publications on the ff sectors: agriculture, communications, education and manpower, environment and natural resources, finance, general governance, health, labor and income, nutrition, public order, safety and justice, public life, prices, social welfare, tourism, trade and transportation. The public can access these materials for free at the NSIC I, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (no noon break) during weekdays.

Dagupan City is now the record holder of the World’s Longest Barbecue as certified by the Guiness World Records. Measuring 1,007.56 meters (3,305.64ft), the longest barbecue grill was composed of 10,000 pieces of milkfish placed simultaneously on 1,000 units of grills measuring one meter long each. The record-setter Barbecue Street Party in Dagupan (Kalutan ed Dagupan) was conducted in May 3, 2003 as part of the Bangus Festival.

NSCB Regional Division (RD) I Releases 2003 Statistical Updates on the Women and Men in the Ilocos Region

In support of the Women’s Month celebration in March and Girl Child Week celebration in March 21-27, the NSCB RD I has released an infosheet containing updated data on the women, men and children in the Ilocos Region. The infosheet contains regional and provincial data covering various sectors such as population, education, violence against women and children, education, labor and employment, migration, health, vital and family planning, social welfare and development, and agriculture and agrarian reform The publication aims to serve the data needs of decision-makers, project planners, implementers and evaluators in their advocacy work and in their formulation of plans, plans and policies for gender equality, empowerment of women and protection of the children’s welfare in the region.

NSCB RD 1 Releases the First Edition of “The Countryside in Figures: Ilocos Sur”

The National Statistical Coordination Board, Regional Division I (NSCB RD I) announces the release of the “The Countryside in Figures: Ilocos Sur, 1^st Edition 2003.” The publication was conceptualized by the NSCB in response to the increasing demand for more accessible data with subregional level disaggregation in support of local development planning.

In a span of five years, the region experienced one thousand fire incidents resulting to around Php 549 million worth of damages. Although the number of fire incidents decreased in 2000, it steadily increased from 2001 to 2003 with an average annual growth rate of 30.2 percent. Click here for more info . . .

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), Regional Division (RD) I, once again proves its commitment of making relevant statistics about Region I more accessible to the public through the release of the hard copy of the publication “2003 Regional Social and Economic Trends (RSET) in Region 1.” A CD-ROM version of the publication was earlier released in October 2003.

Poverty Threshold: P11,906 in 2002

The annual per capita poverty threshold was estimated at P11,906 in 2002, a 2.5 percent increase over the 2000 threshold of P11,620 (Table 1). With this threshold, a family of five members¹ should have a monthly income of P4,961 to meet its food and non-food basic needs.

The Ilocos Region's inflation rate for the year 2003 was pegged at 2.1 percent, better than the 2.2 percent inflation rate posted in the year 2002. December inflation rate, however, was at 2.5 percent, the highest inflation rate recorded during the year. The purchasing power of the peso meanwhile went down to 0.60 in 2003 from 0.61 in 2002. It recorded an all-time low of 0.59 in December 2003. This means that a P1.00 in 1994 is only worth P0.59 in December 2003.

Crop production in the Ilocos Region had seen a robust growth in the last quarter of 2003. Palay production went up by 7.35 percent mainly due to sustained use of hybrid and certified seeds, better weather and sufficient water supply. Corn production on the other hand, had a better harvest with a 10.33 percent growth. For other crops, watermelon provided the lift with an improved harvest of 16.78 percent. The improvement in production were attributed mainly to improved planting calendar of farmers and better fruiting performance due to good weather.

2003

Organic vs. Chemical-Based Farming

Farmers use chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides as the easiest solution for high production and profit. However, the improper and excessive use of these chemicals have caused tremendous environmental and health problems. Hence, natural farming methods such as organic farming are becoming popular. To gain further knowledge on organic and chemical-based farming in the region, the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University – Northern La Union Campus will conduct two separate studies entitled “Status of Organic Farming in Region I” and “Assessment of Pesticide Usage in La Union”.

14th NSM Concludes

The month-long celebration of the 14^th National Statistics Month ended with a Regional Closing Ceremony held at the Diego Silang Hall, La Union Provincial Capitol, San Fernando City on October 30, 2003 at 1:30 p.m. with 60 participants from the different local government units, line agencies and private establishments in the region. The said ceremony was sponsored by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Provincial Government of La Union.

NSCB Releases Compilation of Resolutions

The NSCB Regional Division I released recently the Compilation of Region I RSCDC and RSCC Resolutions (1988-2002). The compilation serves as a mirror of how statistical coordination and the RSCC, in particular, contributed to the upgrading of statistical development in Region I. Copies of the compilation is available at the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC) Region I Branch Library.

Ilocos Norte: Region I's Tourism Capital

International and local events dictated Region I's tourism industry in the past five years. The Asian Financial Crisis caused the downturn in tourist arrivals by 46.5 percent in 1999. Tourist arrivals soared in the succeeding years as it enjoyed an average annual growth rate of 11.8 percent because of the dependable annual increase in domestic tourist arrivals. Read more . . .

NSM Updates

Now on its 21^st day of celebrating the 14^th National Statistics Month (NSM), Region I has accomplished a long list of activities in achievement of the celebration’s objectives . . . Read more . . .

RSET 2003 CD-ROM now available at NSIC

The NSCB RD I released yesterday, October 14, 2003 the CD-ROM version of the 2003 Regional Social and Economic Trends(RSET) in the Ilocos Region. The RSET is a compilation of time-series data on various social and economic sectors of the region. This years edition offers more statistics with city level disaggregation. The CD-ROM is available at the NSIC for P1,000.00. You can order your copies at nscbru1@sflu.com.

14th National Statistics Month Opens

“Economic competition is a serious business… that should be engaged in with open eyes and a big part of this eyes is information and statistics.” These lines from Director Leonardo N. Quitos, Jr., Chairman of the Regional Statistical Coordination Committee (RSCC), signalled the start of the 14^th National Statistics Month (NSM) Regional Opening Program on October 1, 2003 at the Diego Silang Hall, Provincial Capitol, San Fernando City, La Union.

NSCB RD I Releases 2003 WAM in CD ROM

The 2003 edition of the Women and Men in Ilocos Region was released by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Regional Division I on October 2, 2003 as part of its contribution to the month long celebration of the National Statistics Month (NSM) and the National Children's Month. The 2003 edition is available in CD ROM and contains ten (10) chapters of women and children Statistics. For your orders, e-mail us at nscbru1@sflu.com

October 1, 2003 will mark the start of a month long celebration of the 14^th National Statistics Month in Region I through the Regional Opening Ceremony at the Diego Silang Hall, Provincial Capitol, San Fernando City, La Union at 8:30 a.m.

In support to the government’s poverty alleviation program, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), in collaboration with the Provincial Government of La Union, has embarked into a Poverty Mapping that aims to identify the poor areas in the province as measured by social and economic indicators. Read more . . .

The National Nutrition Council (NNC) will conduct the 6th National Nutrition Survey (NNS) this year. The NNS is conducted every five (5) years to assess the Philippine food consumption situation and the nutritional status of population groups. In the Ilocos Region, the NNS was started last July 23 and will go on until August 30. A total of thirty seven (37) barangays will be sampled in the region. Click here for the schedule of field survey in the Ilocos region.

Apiculture or the Bee-keeping Industry has become a competitive industry not only in the region but nationwide.