The Philippines endorses the amended mandate of the Committee to reflect its role in overseeing the implementation of statistical classifications and in liaising with relevant expert committees from other intergovernmental organizations.

We endorse the explanatory notes and introductory text to the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC), Revision 5. Likewise, we support the development of relevant correspondence tables related to ISIC Revision 5.

Implementation of a new classification system for national statistical offices (NSOs) is a complex process, particularly in economic censuses, business surveys, and national accounts. Thus, the Philippines endorses the implementation plan for the ISIC, Revision 5 to assist countries and provide them with direction in adopting the ISIC Revision 5.  The plan should define a specific timeline, programs, and responsible units to ensure the successful implementation of ISIC Revision 5.

The Philippines adopts the structure of the Central Product Classification (CPC), version 3, and approves the timeline for the finalization of the explanatory note and the development of the correspondence tables related to CPC version 3.0.

We endorse the Classification of Environmental Purposes as an international statistical classification in line with the updating process of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) Central Framework.

The Philippines endorses the International Union for Conservation of Nature Global Ecosystem Typology as an international statistical classification primarily for analytical purposes, which would enable consistent and rigorous Ecosystem Accounts aligned with the UN SEEA-Ecosystem Accounting standards. We acknowledge the advantages of adopting the Global Ecosystem Typology (GET) as a national ecosystem classification system, and we are committed to exploring GET’s alignment with existing frameworks and incorporating its principles into future data collection and reporting efforts. Initiatives are also underway to test the feasibility of adopting GET in the Philippine context particularly in areas like waste management and water resources management.

We recognize the strong linkages between ISIC and CPC and agree on the need to make the revision process of ISIC and CPC more predictable and transparent. Thus, the Philippines endorses the recommendation by the Committee on a five-year revision cycle for the ISIC and the CPC to ensure timely reflection of current conditions for sound and informed decisions.

We commend the Committee for successfully organizing a sprint on international statistical classifications which serves as an additional venue for NSOs to discuss the importance of international classifications and learning from each other through sharing of expertise and best practices.

We acknowledge the efforts of the Committee in proactively amending its mandate to serve effectively as the central coordination body for international statistical classifications. We also welcome the inclusion in the Committee’s work program of the modernization of classifications, implementation of the revision cycle for ISIC and CPC, and establishment of a task team on best practices. These activities will help NSOs in the smooth implementation and development of statistical classifications at the national level.