Services

The NSCB offers services which aim to enhance and further develop the Philippine Statistical System as well as cater to the statistical needs of local and foreign data users.

One-Stop Statistical Information Center

Operating on the concept of one-stop shop, the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC) is a public service of the NSCB. 

The centers were established to make statistical information more accessible to data users and on a wider scale.

Latest and historical statistics on various subject areas both local and foreign can be gathered by data users at the NSIC. Furthermore, the NSIC develops customer-oriented products, services and systems.  These include statistics inquiry services, subscription, library services, electronic data access, technical services, marketing, and system and product development.

Aside from the NSIC Central Office located in Makati City in the National Capital Region, local branches are also present in regions where there are NSCB Regional Units.  The NSIC regional branches are located in the following areas:

Region I (San Fernando City, La Union);
Region IV (Calamba, Laguna)
Region V (Legazpi City, Albay);
Region VI (Iloilo City, Iloilo);
Region VIII (Tacloban City, Leyte);
Region IX (Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur);
Region X (Cagayan De Oro City, Misamis Oriental);
Region XI (Davao City, Davao del Sur);
Region XII (Cotabato City, Maguindanao); and
Cordillera Administrative Region (Baguio City, Benguet).

The establishment of additional regional branches of the NSIC in other regions is programmed within the next three years under one of the foreign-assisted projects of the NSCB.
  

On-line Statistical Service Through the Internet

The NSCB went online by establishing its web site in the World Wide Web in May 1997. The site contains historical time series and the latest or updates on major social and economic indicators.

It also features news on the latest statistical development activities in the country. Users can order and subscribe to statistical publications in the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC) and request data through this online facility.

On December 9, 1998, the NSCB was honored during the first Philippine Webby Awards as the 1998 best Filipino created web site for government category. The Philippine Webby Award is an award giving body that honors the best Filipino created web sites for the year and the individuals and teams responsible for the creation of the web sites.

In 1999, the NSCB web site was again awarded by the Philippine Webby Awards as the best web site in the government category. In the same year, the 8th Gawad Oscar Florendo also honored the NSCB web site as the 1999 Outstanding Information Tool in the Special Awards Category in a ceremony held on November 12, 1999 at the AFPCOC, Tejeros Hall at Camp Aguinaldo.

Coordination of the Subnational Statistical System 

The NSCB has established the Regional Statistical Coordination Committees (RSCCs) in all regions of the country. 

The creation of the RSCCs was aimed at (a) providing direction and guidance to statistical development activities in the regions; and (b) to analyze, evaluate and recommend improvements on statistics needed in responding to local concerns.

The RSCCs serve as the body for policy and issue resolution and statistical coordination at the subnational level. The NSCB Regional Units provide the technical and administrative support functions to the RSCCs.

Coordination of Inter-agency Concerns

The NSCB technical staff coordinates a number of technical committees (TCs) and inter-agency committees (IACs).

These committees are created from time to time to improve data systems for the generation of relevant information in support of important programs of the government.

As of February 1999, the NSCB has TCs on population and housing statistics; price statistics; seasonal adjustment of Philippine time series; statistical standards and classification; and, survey design. On the other hand, the IACs are on agriculture, fishery and forestry statistics; foreign direct investments statistics; and, labor, income and productivity statistics.

Designation of Statistics

Executive Order (EO) No. 352 was passed on July 1, 1996 to designate the statistical activities that will generate critical data for decision-making of the government and private sectors.

The EO further identifies the responsible agencies, frequency of conduct, disaggregation, and schedule of data dissemination.

As a service to data users, the system of designated statistics forms one of the responses of the NSCB on the need to generate data at a desired frequency, time and level of disaggregation.

Clearing House for International Data Requests

The NSCB serves as the clearing house for data requests from international organizations such as the UN ESCAP, ILO, WHO, among others.

Through this system, the dissemination of official data to foreign bodies and other requesting parties is ensured.

Technical Services

The NSCB provides technical assistance on statistical matters to various government agencies, students and other data users from the private sector.

It also extends assistance to foreign delegations and conducts lectures on the estimation of national accounts and other relevant indicators.

Some of the foreign delegations/missions that have benefited from the expertise of the NSCB staff include groups from China, Vietnam, Japan, Bhutan, Nepal, and Cambodia.

Advocacy for Statistical Awareness 

The NSCB leads in the promotion of statistical awareness through the annual National Statistics Month (NSM) and the conduct of the National Convention on Statistics (NCS) every three years.

The NSM is observed every October of the year pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 647 issued on September 20, 1990, declaring the month of October of every year as the National Statistics Month. The nationwide celebration aims to enhance the importance of statistics in development and to promote public awareness and appreciation of the value of statistics in the different sectors of society. The annual celebration started in 1990 and every year a particular theme is selected to give focus to the event.

In keeping with the need to regularly conduct intelligent discussions on the developments in the fields of statistics, the PSS, with the NSCB at the helm, holds the NCS every three years. The last convention was held on October 1-2, 2001 at Westin Philippine Plaza in Pasay City, National Capital Region coinciding with the opening of the 12th National Statistics Month celebration. The convention aims to: (1) provide a forum for exchanging ideas and experiences in the field of statistics, and for discussing recent statistical developments and prevailing issues and problems of the PSS; and (2) elicit the cooperation and support of statisticians and professionals in related fields from the government, academe and private sector towards a more progressive statistical system.

Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System

The Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS) is one of the mechanisms of the NSCB for providing assistance and support to the statistical work of government agencies.

The system involves the evaluation of surveys or censuses sponsored and/or to be conducted by government agencies at the national and subnational level.

The review covers several areas such as

• the need to conduct the inquiry

• duplication

• sampling design

• forms content and table format

• operational plans

• the outputs.

The review process aims to ensure conformity with standard definitions, concepts and classifications, and, consequently, the reliability, comparability and accuracy of statistics generated. At the same time, the system aims to minimize the burden of respondents, to effect economy in data collection, and to inform respondents about the survey and to enjoin their cooperation as well.

A database of surveys cleared, which can be accessed by users, is being maintained to facilitate the review process.

Interactive Statistical Databases

The development of the Interactive Statistical Databases (i-stats) online is in line with the continuing commitment of the NSCB to bring the products and services of the Philippine Statistical System (PSS) within reach of as wide range of clientele as possible.

The database contains a comprehensive compilation of multi-sectoral data about the region and its component provinces, cities and municipalities presented in time series. This database aims to bring statistics closer to the various users at the convenience of their homes, offices or work stations. The database has been developed with technical assistance from Statistics Sweden.