The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the lead agency of the 29^th National Statistics Month in coordination with Regional Statistics Committee - 7 (RSC-7) through its Technical Working Group on Education headed by the Philippine Statistical Association Inc. (PSAI) conducted a four-day training on Official Economic and Demographic Statistics, Statistical Inference and Statistical Software Packages last 23 – 26 October 2018 at the Mezzo Hotel located along Pres. Quezon St., Mabolo, Cebu City.

On the opening program, RD Efren Carreon of NEDA and Chairman of RSC 7 gave the Welcome Remarks and stressed on the importance of statistics to our policy and decision makers. It was followed by an Inspirational Message given by ANS Candido Astrologo, Jr. who gave the participants a glimpse of the different programs and projects that are using statistics and their impact on the community. Then Prof. Nelia S. Ereno, President of PSAI - CV gave the Rationale of the Training as well as the drive to conduct a series of training for all RSC-member agencies in the region.

Session 1 was discussed by pool of speakers from the Philippine Statistics Authority – Central Office. First topic was given by OIC – ANS Divina Gracia L. del Prado on “Price Statistics”. She shared to the group what price statistics is and its uses to measure the levels and movement of goods and services that are purchased by consumers. She then gave the three kinds of collected prices by the PSA: Wholesale Price, Retail Price, and Farmgate Price. OIC – ANS del Prado then stressed the importance of price surveys for the generation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Inflation Rate (IR), and the Purchasing Power of Peso (PPP).

CSS Florande S. Polistico followed with the topic on Economic Accounts. CSS Polistico shared on the Overview of the National Account, the framework of the Philippine System of National Accounts (PSNA) and the reason why we need the System of National Accounts. He also touched on the analysis of economic accounts, and gross domestic product as well as the gross domestic expenditure. All these topics were taken up one by one from the concept, approaches, to the different stakeholders of a particular activity.

ANS Wilma A. Guillen followed with her topic on the Social Sector Statistics. ANS Guillen presented the different divisions under her service as well as their respective functions and surveys. She also gave a short discussion on the results of the different surveys conducted by the different divisions under her. The topic on the Small Area Estimates (SAE) followed and discussed by Ms. Bernadette Balamban who shared to the group what SAE is all about and what are its uses.

On the second day of the training a discussion on the Preliminary Concepts of Statistical Inference was shared by Dr. Ivy Corazon A. Mangaya-ay, PhD Statistics and a professor at the Bohol Island State University. She then shared the R system that will help in managing data and in testing or applying the different statistical treatments of data. A workshop then followed wherein the participants were given some problems to be solved using the R System. Then a short presentation of output per group was made.

Third day of the training, Dr. Norberto Milla, a PhD on Statistics and a professor of the Visayas State University had his turn on sharing with the group on data management and this time using the STATA system. All tests and statistical treatments being used in the R system were also applied using the STATA system. Then another workshop and presentation of outputs by each group followed to end the discussion of Dr. Milla.

On the last day of the training Asst. Prof. Ma. Salvacion Pantino, MS Statistics and a professor at the University of the Philippines shared the EViews system in handling data management and statistical inference. A workshop and a presentation of output then followed. After the presentation of output, awarding of certificates to the participants was made.

Engr. Ariel E. Florendo, PSA 7 Regional Director then gave his closing remarks and a short message challenging the participants to share the knowledge learned from the training and to bring statistics closer to the people.