WHEREAS, the National Statistics Office is the major statistical agency responsible for generating general purpose statistics and undertaking censuses and surveys, among which are the Family Income and Expenditures Survey (FIES) conducted triennially and the Labor Force Survey (LFS) conducted quarterly;

WHEREAS, results of the FIES and the LFS are currently available only at the regional level;

WHEREAS, there is clamor among data users particularly local government units for family income and labor force and employment data at lower levels to support planning and policy making at the local level especially in areas of income and job generation;

WHEREAS, small area estimation methodologies are available and have been known to allow estimates for smaller geographic area based on the results of surveys through the use of supplementary information at acceptable degrees of reliability;

WHEREAS, small area estimation provides opportunity to respond to growing clamor for lower level disaggregation of data at more economic costs;

NOW THEREFORE, on motion duly seconded, be it:

RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, to request the National Statistics Office generate small area estimates from the Family Income and Expenditures Survey and Labor Force Survey at least at the provincial level;

RESOLVED FINALLY, that copies of this resolution be furnished the NSO Central Office through the NSO Regional Office, for consideration;

APPROVED, this 29th day of May 2008 in Legazpi City.