GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The 7th City Statistics Committee-General Santos City (CSC GSC) has approved the Technical Working Group (TWG) report on Statistical Human Resource Guidelines and its adoption for use in the upcoming Community-based Monitoring System (CBMS) and all other data collection activities in the city.

The meeting, which was held on March 1 at Ameliyah's Place in this city, was attended by sixteen out of twenty-four members from the local government of General Santos City, national line agencies, and selected private sector organizations, including the academe.

EnP. Dennis Fel T. Matutina, assistant city government department head of the City Planning and Development Office, presided over the meeting, which led to its endorsement of an ordinance to further strengthen the role of the committee in the different statistical plans and activities of the city government.

The meeting's agenda also included the annual research forum as part of the 35th National Statistics Month Celebration activities this October 2024.

The committee also led to the creation of the Scientific Research Committee to oversee the selection and management of the forum, along with the identification of new member agencies whose functions are crucial to the success of the forum.

The committee also discussed the "city research agenda" to align with the national and regional research agenda and this year's CBMS synchronized implementation in the city, which will be ahead of the national timetable for the 2024 CBMS synchronized implementation since the city government "availed of the services of a third party."

Tackling the Philsys updates, the committee said it will include the promotion and acceptance of the National ID as a proof of identity for the different transactions in the city. It also announced the registration for the National ID for ages 1 to 4 years old, which will happen in schools and daycare centers in General Santos City and Sarangani Province, among others.

The CSC of General Santos was established to replicate the functions of the Regional Statistics Committee for a well-coordinated statistical system at the city level as a coordinator for improving the statistical system that is responsive to development planning and monitoring. (Carla Fusilero/PSA Sarangani)