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PH champions Inclusive Data Charter to ensure that no one is left behind in the country’s sustainable development policies and programs

Friday, July 27, 2018 - 13:15

Mr. Candido Astrologo, Assistant National Statistician, reaffirms the Philippines’ commitment to scale up disaggregated data, responsive to the needs of the poorest and the most marginalized and facilitative in monitoring the country’s attainment of sustainable development goals. (Photo by: Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data)

 

H.E. Mr. Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, underlines the importance of quality disaggregated data in ensuring that no one is left behind in the formulation of government policies. (Photo by: Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data)

 

17 July 2018, New York. – The lack of good, disaggregated data on gender, disability, ethnicity, age, income class, migration status, and geographical location, among others, is a major challenge that the Philippines faces in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

To address this problem, the Philippines committed to the Inclusive Data Charter, an initiative of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, to produce better, comprehensive, disaggregated data in a timely manner to create policies that are responsive to the needs of the poorest and the most marginalized.

This was highlighted by Mr. Candido Astrologo, Assistant National Statistician of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), during the launch of the Inclusive Data Charter at the sidelines of the High Level Political Forum held at the Millennium Hilton Hotel in New York.

As a “champion” of the Inclusive Data Charter, Mr. Astrologo stated that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) developed an Action Plan to scale up statistical programs that will address data gaps related to lack or absence of disaggregated data on the indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Philippine Action Plan aims to get better disaggregated data in 5 years through a data expenditures survey with a target of 180,000 Filipinos out of the 110 million population. Through the plan, PSA hopes to develop local level statistics, localize the implementation of the SDGs, and develop plans and programs geared towards specific sectors such as the fisher folk and farmers.

Moving forward, Mr. Astrologo stressed that “the Government should invest in statistics, statisticians and statistics offices in the country.”

Ambassador Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, underlined the critical role of numbers and statistics in ensuring the formulation of sound government policies on sustainable development. On reaffirming the government’s support to the Inclusive Data Charter initiative, he stated that “inclusive disaggregated data should not just be an aspiration but also a practicality to ensure that no one is left out.” END.