Tacloban City (August 29) -- The 2009 National Statistics Month celebration in the month of October will revolve around the theme "Demand-Driven Statistics: Key to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Development."

The theme aims to highlight the need to shift from the supply-driven to demand/user-driven generation of data in order to enable a more comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date set of MSME statistics.

For this reason, this year's host for the Opening Ceremony is the Department of Trade and Industry.

The celebration of the National Statistics Month is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 647 issued on September 20, 1990, declaring the Month of October of every year as the National Statistics Month, in order to promote, enhance and instill nationwide awareness and appreciation of the importance and value of statistics to the different sectors of society.

The celebration of the National Statistics Month also aims to elicit the cooperation and support of the general public in upgrading the quality and standards of statistics in the country.

For this year's celebration, the National Statistical Coordination Board has issued Memo Circular No. 001-08 to all heads of departments, bureaus, offices and instrumentalities of the National Government, government owned and controlled corporations, state universities and colleges, local government units and the private sector, enjoining them to actively participate in and support the celebration of the 19th National Statistics Month.