FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
A country's success is primordially rooted in its ability to know its 
necessities at present and options for the future. A country must be able to 
troubleshoot anytime and be prepared to meet the demands of the future. 
Moreover nowadays, a nation is a business enterprise which can no longer 
survive on its own by closing its doors to the world. There are various entities, 
partners, states, corporations and consumers that a nation must contend and 
transact with for its prosperity, even survival for other less fortunate nations. 
In regard to this norm, a nation must be equipped and well informed of 
every possible significant detail of the current world trade and events. But more 
principally, of course it must know itself - its demographics, resource 
capabilities, skills, and potentials as a state. 
The keystone of being equipped and prepared is a working statistical 
system which this bill seeks to establish and institutionalize in our government 
and society. The presence of a statistical system alone will not suffice for it is 
imperative that it be effective and functional to cater to the needs not only of the 
country but the worId. Knowledge is power to a country in terms of trading, 
economic development, treaty-making, and building respectable state relations. 
Hence this bill deems it vital to reorganize our current statistical system 
because the State recognizes the importance of statistics as a strategic and 
indispensable resource. Our country needs to establish and maintain a statistical 
system that shall provide full information to the State and its people. It is equally 
important that it be accessible, consistent and up-to-date for the use of the 
government, and its constituents. This cannot be achieved without the system 
being independent, competent and efficient. 
The current system needs an enhancement of data capacity, statistical 
methods, techniques and information technology as well as structure. As an 
overview, the bill seeks to create a national organization called the Statistics 
Philippines or STATPHIL which shall be primarily responsible for all national 
surveys and act as a central databank for national accounts. It shall be attached to 
NEDA for easy policy coordination and collaboration. It shall be headed by a 
National Statistician who is fundamentally in charge of the administration of the 
said office. An autonomous body called Statistics Policy Council shall likewise be 
created to govern and promulgate policies for STATPHIL which shall be 


composed of highly qualified and competent individuals to serve for a specific 
term. 
The overhaul shall not be complete without the creation of an institute 
which shall be accountable for the development of a comprehensive and 
integrated research and training program for the Philippine statistical system. 
Hence, the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute (PSRTI) shall be 
established. 
It is high time that we as a nation consolidate our knowledge and facts to 
be intelligently used in decision-making for our development as a State and for 
the upliftment of the plight of every Filipino. It is noteworthy to reiterate that 
this information can very well be used with our neighbors and the world 
whether as a tool of foresight or as a tool for solving current problems the 
country is now facing. The Philippines will be in an advantageous position if we 
as a nation can provide what Filipinos in our country and the world need, in the 
short, medium and long term. 
Wherefore, it is deemed incumbent upon this present Congress to 
countenance this bill and move for its immediate passage. 
FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S. No. - 
2191 
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
AN ACT 
REORGANIZING THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICAL SYSTEM 
Be it enacted blj the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Statistics Act of 
2008." 
SEC. 2. 
Declaration of Policies. The State recognizes the importance of 
statistics as a strategic resource of the country and therefore it shall be the 
policy of the State to establish and maintain a statistical system that shall 
a) provide adequate, accessible, consistent, timely, reliable and relevant 
statistics to guide the planning and decision-making processes of the 
government, the private sector and the general public; 
b) develop and maintain a national statistics program characterized by 
independence, objectivity and integrity; 
c) promote efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of statistical 
services; and 
d) support countryside development through the establishment of 
statistical infrastructure necessary to service the current and emerging 
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statistical needs for local development planning. 


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Towards these goals, the State shall effect the necessary and proper 
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changes in the organizational and functional structures of the Philippine 
Statistical System (PSS). 
In addition, the State shall develop and strengthen the capacity of the 
country’s statistical system through the provision of adequate human, 
technical and financial resources to achieve the objectives set forth under this 
Act. 
SEC. 3. 
Objectives. The objectives of this Act are as follows: 
To provide direction and promote the orderly development of 
a) 
the PSS; 
b) 
To provide active cooperation amongst the government, the 
general public and the private sector in the provision and maintenance of 
accurate data; 
c) 
To enhance the capacity of data producers in the PSS to come up 
with the necessary statistical series for development planning, policy analysis 
and decision making in the government and the private sectors; 
d) 
e) 
To appreciate the value and importance of statistics; 
To develop and disseminate statistical concepts, methods, 
techniques and information technology to various users in the government 
and the private sector; and 
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To continually upgrade the statistics profession to enhance its 
contribution for the advancement and development of statistics. 
SEC. 4. 
Reorganization of the PSS. The PSS, consisting of all statistical 
organizations at all administrative levels and offices in government, the 
personnel therein and the national statistical program, which was re- 
organized under Executive Order (EO) No. 121 dated 30 January 2007, shall 
be further reorganized under this Act to improve its efficiency and 
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effectiveness in meeting demands for statistics by way of consolidating 
primary data collection activities under a single agency. 
SEC. 5. 
The Statistics Philippines or STATPHIL. A national organization 
attached to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for 
purposes of policy coordination called the Statistics Philippines (STATPHIL) 
is hereby established. 
It shall be primarily responsible for all national censuses and surveys, 
the consolidation of selected administrative recording systems, and the 
compilation of the national accounts. 
The STATPHIL shall be constituted from among the existing personnel 
and resources of the major statistical agencies engaged in primary data 
collection and compilation of secondary data, the National Statistics Office 
(NSO), the Technical Staff of the National Statistical Coordination Board 
(NSCB), the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), and the Bureau of Labor 
and Employment Statistics (BLES). 
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the 
Department of Agriculture (DA) shall maintain their respective staff bureaus 
namely the BLES and the BAS, respectively, but their mandates shall be 
refocused toward developing rigorous, independent economic research 
analysis and forecasting, rather than primary data collection for designated 
statistics. 
The Department of Economic Statistics of the Bangko Sentral ng 
Pilipinas (BSP) shall likewise continue to take charge of statistics on banking 
and financial statistics, including balance of payments and flow of funds. 
SEC. 6. 
following functions: 
Functions of the STATPHIL. The STATPHIL shall have the 
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a) 
serve as the central statistical authority of the Philippine 
government on primary data collection ; 
b) 
collect, compile, analyze, abstract and publish statistical 
information relating to the country’s economic, social, demographic and 
general activities and condition of the people; 
c) 
prepare and conduct periodic censuses on population, housing, 
agriculture, fisheries, business, industry, and other sectors of the economy; 
d) 
prepare and conduct statistical sample surveys on a11 aspects of 
socioeconomic life including agriculture, industry, trade, finance, prices and 
marketing information, income and expenditure, education, health, culture, 
and social situations for the use of the government and the public; 
e) 
carry out, enforce and administer civil registration functions in 
the country as provided for in Republic Act No. 3753 (Civil Registration 
Systems Act); 
f) 
collaborate with all the departments of the national government 
in the collection, compilation, maintenance and publication of statistical 
information, including special statistical data derived from the activities of 
said departments; 
g) 
promote and develop integrated social and economic statistics 
and to coordinate plans for the integration of those statistics, including the 
national accounts; 
h) 
develop and maintain appropriate frameworks and standards 
for the collection, processing, analysis and dissemination of data; 
i) 
coordinate with all government offices and local government 
units (LGUs) on the promotion and adoption of statistical standards involving 
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techniques, methodologies, concepts, definitions and classifications; and on 
the avoidance of duplication in the collection of the statistical information; 
j) 
conduct continuing methodological, analytical and development 
activities, in coordination with the Philippine Statistical Research and 
Training Institute, created under Section 13 of this Act, to improve the 
conduct of censuses, surveys and other data collection activities; 
k) 
recommend executive and legislative measures to the President 
of the Philippines and Congress, respectively, to enhance the development of 
the statistical activities and programs of the government; 
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prepare, in consultation with the Statistics Policy Council, 
established under Section 9 of this Act, a Philippine Statistical Development 
Program for approval of the President of the Philippines, and 
m) 
implement policies on statistical matters and coordination, as 
directed by the Statistics Policy Council. 
SEC. 7. 
Organizational Structure of the STATPHIL. The STATPHIL shall 
be headed by a National Statistician, an office created under the immediately 
succeeding section of this Act, shall be assisted by two (2) Deputy National 
Statisticians: 1) Deputy National Statistician for Statistics Production and 
Coordination; and 2) Deputy National Statistician for Civil Registration and 
Administrative Affairs. 
The first shall supervise three (3) Assistant National Statisticians for: 1) 
Macroeconomic Statistics; 2) Social and Agriculture Statistics; and 3) 
Coordination and Standards. 
The second shall, on the other hand, supervise two (2) Assistant 
National Statisticians for: 1) Civil Registration; and 2) Administrative Affairs. 
The Assistant National Statistician for Civil Registration shall 
administer over the Offices for Civil Registration Operations, and Civil 
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Registration Advocacy & Research; the Assistant National Statistician for 
Administration shall oversee the Offices for Administrative Services and 
Financial Services; the Assistant National Statistician for Macroeconomic 
Statistics shall oversee the Offices for Industry & Trade Statistics, and 
National Accounts; the Assistant National Statistician for Social & Agriculture 
Statistics shall supervise the Offices for Agriculture & Environment Statistics, 
and Socioeconomic & Demographic Statistics; the Assistant National 
Statistician for Coordination & Standards shall oversee the Offices for SPC 
Affairs, Policies & Standards, Planning & International Affairs, and 
Administrative Reporting Systems, as well as the Regional Offices. 
SEC. 8. 
The National statistician. The National Statistician, as the head of 
the STATPHIL, shall have the rank and emoluments of an undersecretary. 
He/she must possess reasonable experience in the management of data 
collection, and preferably a holder of a Ph.D or at least a Masters degree in 
Statistics. He/she shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines from 
a list of nominees processed and obtained pursuant to Section 12 of this Act. 
The National Statistician shall serve for a term of five (5) years with 
reappointment. Upon completion of his/her second term, in case of 
reappointment, he/she shall enjoy twice the benefits provided for by laws on 
retirement. 
The National Statistician shall perform the following duties: 
a) 
b) 
direct and supervise the administration of the STATPHIL; 
prescribe rules and regulations, instructions, schedule and form 
of business of 
the STATPHIL, in the collection, compilation, and 
dissemination of statistics and other information and in the conduct of any 
census; 
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c) 
provide over-all directions in the implementation of the Civil 
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Registry Law and related issuances and exercise technical supervision over 
the Local Civil Registrars as Civil Registrar General; 
d) 
direct and manage the implementation and execution of 
policies, standards, rules and regulations formulated by the SPC; 
e) 
submit a report to the President of the Philippines through the 
NEDA Director-General on the activities of the STATPHIL in the preceding 
year. Such report shall also be submitted separately in the annual report to 
Congress during the presentation of the President’s budget; 
f) 
confer with the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission and 
the Secretary of the Department Budget and Management on the setting up of 
minimum qualification standards, as well as the standardization of 
classification, position and functions and salaries of statistics personnel of the 
government; 
g) 
confer with the Secretary of the Department of Science and 
Technology on the application of the Scientific Career System to statistics 
personnel of the government; 
h) 
Director; 
i) 
issue appointments of STATPHIL personnel below the rank of 
represent STATPHIL as signatory to all contracts, researches 
and other awards; 
j) 
represent the Philippines in regional and international 
conferences and meetings as the country’s highest authority with respect to 
statistical matters; and, 
k) 
Policy Council. 
perform such other functions as may be assigned by the Statistics 
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The National Statistician shall likewise supervise in-house services, 
including the Offices for Information and Dissemination Services, for 
Methodology and Analysis, Legal Services, and Internal Audit. Each of these 
staff offices of the STATPHIL shall be headed by a Director IV with at least 
one (1) Assistant Director and may have such divisions as are necessary to 
carry out their respective functions, subject to review by the SPC. 
SEC. 9. 
statistics Policy Council. 
An autonomous body called the 
Statistics Policy Council (SPC) is hereby created which shall serve as the 
governing board of the STATPHIL. 
It shall be responsible for the promulgation of policy and coordination 
on all statistical matters in the government and its decisions on statistical 
matters shall be final and executory for the entire PSS. 
It shall also review and provide certification of the quality of 
designated statistics. It shall also review the budget of the STATPHIL. 
SEC.lO. 
CompositionoffheSPC. 
The SPC shall be composed of a 
chairperson and four (4) members to be appointed by the President of the 
Philippines from a list of nominees processed and obtained pursuant to 
Section 12 of this Act for a term of three (3) years with reappointment. These 
persons shall be eminent statisticians, economists, social scientists, computer 
scientists, preferably Ph.Ds or with at least masters degrees, representing the 
following indicative areas: 
Agriculture, Environment, Industry, Trade, Finance, Infrastructure 
and National Accounts; 
Population & Demography, Health, Education, Welfare, Labor, 
Employment and other Socio-Economic Sectors; 
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Census and Survey Design, and Analysis; 
Theoretical Statistics; Statistical Modeling; 
Statistical Information System and Information Technology. 
In addition, the SPC shall have two other members, the National 
Statistician and the NEDA Deputy Director-General for National 
Development, both of whom shall serve in an ex-oJJicio capacity. 
The SPC shall meet at least once a month for which the chairperson 
and all its members shall be entitled to reasonable per diems and allowances. 
A majority of the five members of the SPC shall constitute a quorum in 
the conduct of its day to day affairs and business. 
SEC. 11. 
Powers and Functions of the SPC. The SPC shall: 
a) 
formulate policies on all matters relating to government 
statistical operations, standards, classifications, and coordination; 
b) 
prescribe designated statistics and statistical activities, which 
shall be the sources of official statistics for government policy, planning and 
decision-making processes, including their periodicities, disaggregation and 
release calendar; 
c) 
distribute responsibilities for the designated statistics to 
STATPHIL and other government agencies; 
d) 
review the statistical programs of the departments and agencies 
of the national government, and the LGUs and confer with, advise and direct 
said government organizations on all matters concerning such programs and 
statistical activities; 
e) 
review and clear, whenever necessary, the budget of STATPHIL 
and the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute; 
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serve as the governing board of the STATPHIL and the 
Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute; 
g) 
conduct a performance audit of the STATPHIL and the 
Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute and submit these to the 
President of the Philippines through the NEDA Director General; 
h) 
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approve the Philippine Statistical Development Program; 
recommend administrative and legislative measures to enhance 
the development and efficiency of the PSS, including the internal structure of 
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statistical agencies; 
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j) 
formulate appropriate mechanisms for statistical coordination at 
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all administrative levels of government; 
k) 
provide clearance to the conduct of censuses and surveys 
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perform functions related or analogous to the foregoing. 
undertaken by national government agencies, and LGUs; and, 
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SEC.12. 
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Nomination and Appointment in the SPC and of the National 
statistician. The SPC chairperson and its 4 members as well as the National 
Statistician, shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines from 
among a list of nominees submitted by a Special Committee. 
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the NEDA. 
The Special Committee shall be composed of representatives from the 
Philippine Statistical Association, the University of the Philippines Diliman 
School of Statistics, the University of the Philippines Los Baiios Institute of 
Statistics, the Department of Statistics of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and 
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unexpired term. 
In case of a vacancy in the SPC, the successor shall serve only the 
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SEC. 13. 
Philippine Statistical Research & Training Institute (PSRTI). The 
Philippine Statistical Research & Training Institute (PSRTI) is hereby created 
abolishing the Statistical Research and Training Center (SRTC) established 
under the above cited EO 121. 
As such, all the SRTC assets and liabilities, if there be any, shall be 
transferred to the PSRTI. 
The PSRTI shall be considered a non-stock, non-profit government 
corporation, attached to the NEDA also for purposes of policy coordination. 
SEC. 14. 
functions: 
Functions of the PSRTI. The PSRTI shall carry out the following 
Develop a comprehensive and integrated research and training 
program on the theories, concepts and methodologies for the 
promotion of the statistical system; 
Undertake research on statistical concepts, definitions and methods; 
Promote collaborative research efforts among members of the 
academic community, data producers and users; 
Conduct non-degree training programs to upgrade the quality of 
statistics personnel and expand the statistics human resource base 
in support of the needs of the PSS; 
Provide financial and other forms of assistance to enhance statistical 
research and development, and; 
Develop an archive for the orderly and systematic storage of 
statistical information, especially results of primary data collection 
activities, of the PSS. 
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SEC.15. 
Composition of the PSRTI. The PSRTI shall be headed by a 
President with the rank and emoluments equivalent to an Assistant Secretary 
who shall be nominated by the SPC and appointed by the President of the 
Philippines. The PSRTI President shall have at least a Masters degree in 
Statistics. The SPC shall serve as the PSRTI governing board, and, as such, 
shall meet at least every semester to discuss and formulate policies for the 
management and operations of the PSRTI. 
The PSRTI shall provide 
reasonable allowances to its governing board. 
SEC. 16. 
PSRTI Fellows and Associates. The PSRTI shall be authorized to 
engage professionals, either as Fellows or Associates, for purposes of 
conducting training sessions and researches for PSRTI. Fellows should have 
experiences in research or training, and should preferably have earned a 
Ph.D. in Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, Computer Sciences, or related 
disciplines, while Associates, should have earned at least a Masters degree in 
the said fields. Those so engaged by the PSRTI shall be issued appointments 
and shall be paid fees as determined by the PSRTI, and as approved by the 
SPC. 
SEC. 17, 
PSRTI Endowment Fund. The existing SRTC Endowment Fund is 
to be transferred to the PSRTI and shall serve as the initial PSRTI Endowment 
Fund. The PSRTI is authorized to accept into its Endowment Fund any 
contributions, donations, bequests, grants and loans from domestic and/or 
foreign sources government appropriations and other incomes accruing from 
the operations of PSRTI, for purposes of executing its mandate/functions. 
There is hereby appropriated out of any available fund in the National 
Treasury the initial sum of at least Twenty Million Pesos (Php20,000,000.00) 
upon the efictivity of this Act in order to augqent tl& IfsRTI Endowment 


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Fund. 
succeeding years until the tenth year following the effectivity of this Act. 
The said amount shall be automatically appropriated for the 
SEC. 18. 
PSRTI Operating Funds. An initial operating fund of Fifty Million 
Pesos (Php50,000,000.00) shall be appropriated upon the efectivity of this Act 
to the PSRTI. 
For the succeeding years, the PSRTI shall submit for approval of the 
SPC an annual financial plan. The approved financial plan shall be the basis 
for determining the national government’s contribution to finance the PSRTI 
research and training activities which shall be made part of the annual 
General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 19. 
PSRTI Organizational Structure. To carry out the PSRTI’s daily 
operations, the PSRTI President shall be assisted by a Vice President, who 
shall likewise directly manage the PSS Archives Division, an Administrative 
Services Division and two (2) Departments, namely: 1) Training Department; 
and 2) and Research and Information Technology Department. 
SEC. 20. 
Uniformity of Titles/Positions. 
Statistics 
personnel 
of 
equivalent rank and salary shall be given uniform titles across departments 
and agencies of government. 
SEC. 21. 
Technical Committees, Inter-agency Committees and Working Groups. 
The SPC may establish technical committees, inter-agency committees and 
working groups to assist the SPC in the exercise of its function, particularly in 
dealing with technical issues and problems on statistical matters and other 
related areas of concern. Upon guidance of these committees, the SPC may 
direct the STATPHIL and the PSRTI to conduct and/or coordinate research, 
training and related activities for resolving technical issues and disseminating 
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statistical matters. These committees and working groups established by the 
SPC shall be entitled to reasonable allowances. 
SEC. 22. 
Philippine Designated Statistics. A core set of priority statistics 
required for social and economic planning/analysis statistics, and henceforth 
called the Philippine Designated Statistics (PDS), shall be identified by the 
SPC. Any budgetary requirement for this purpose, as determined by the SPC, 
shall be made available and a priority in any budgetary allocation or 
appropriation by Congress. 
The SPC shall issue the pertinent rules and regulations for the 
implementation of the PDS, including the types, scope, coverage and 
dissemination of these statistics. 
The PDS is deemed official and shall be made available to the public 
according to a statistical calendar. The SPC shall periodically review the 
relevance of the PDS to the requirements of national development and shall 
issue modifications/revisions to the PDS as may be warranted. 
SEC. 23. 
Penalties. Respondents of primary data collection activities, such 
as censuses and sample surveys, covered by the PDS shall be obliged to give 
truthful and complete answers to statistical inquiries. 
The penalty of three (3) months imprisonment and a fine of Five 
Thousand Pesos (Php5,OOO.OO) shall be imposed against any individual 
respondent who shall fail to give a truthful and complete answers to any 
statistical inquiry. 
In cases where the respondent who shall fail to give a truthful and 
complete answers to such statistical inquiries is a corporation, the above 
penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed against the responsible officer, 
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director, shareholder and/or agent of said corporation and a fine ranging 
from Fifty Thousand Pesos(Php50,000.00) to Five Hundred Thousand Pesos 
(Php500,000.00) depending on the category of the enterprise or business 
concerned whether small, medium or large, shall on the other hand be 
imposed against such erring corporation or any other juridical entity. 
SECT. 24. 
Confidentiality of Information. Individual data furnished by a 
respondent to statistical inquiries, surveys and censuses of STATPHIL shall be 
considered privileged communication and as such shall be inadmissible in 
evidence in any proceedings. 
STATPHIL may release aggregated information from statistical 
inquiries, surveys and censuses. STATPHIL may also prepare microdata from 
statistical inquiries or survey form/questionnaire/schedule for purposes of 
research, with care to ensure that identities of a particular person, business or 
organization will not be disclosed in whatever form. The National Statistician 
and all staff of STATPHIL are to take a solemn oath regarding confidentiality 
of information. Parties within STATPHIL that breach confidentiality of 
information, whether by carelessness, improper behavior, behavior with 
malicious intent, and use of confidential information for profit, are considered 
guilty of an offense and shall be liable to fines to be prescribed by the SPC 
which shall not be less than five thousand pesos (Php5,OOO.OO) nor more than 
Ten Thousand Pesos (Php10,000.00), and/or imprisonment of at least three (3) 
months but not to exceed one (1) year, subject to the degree of breach of 
information. 
However, confidentiality of information does not apply to: 
(a) individual data to which disclosure through publication or whatever 
manner the respondent has given his/her written consent; 
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(b) individual data available to the public under any statutory or other law; 
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(c) individual data relating to any institution such as library, hospital, mental 
institution, educational institution, welfare institutions correctional 
institution and other individual patient, inmate or other person under the 
case of any such institution; 
(d) information in the form of a list or index of individual business firms, 
establishments or organizations that contains any or all of the following 
information; 
i. the name, address, and telephone numbers; 
ii. the business and products that they are engaged in; and 
iii. the specific ranges of number of employees or persons constituting 
its work force or engaged by it. 
SEC. 25. 
Survey Clearance. The current system of statistical survey 
clearance is to be continued. That is, all government institutions, both national 
and local government instrumentalities, are to request clearance from the 
STATPHIL for the conduct of surveys that are not within the scope of 
responsibility of STATPHIL at least forty five (45) days prior to the conduct of 
the survey. The STATPHIL is expected to expeditiously act on such requests 
for clearance which shall be thirty (30) working days from date of complete 
and formal request for such clearance. This clearance system shall include 
surveys contracted out by government agencies to private institutions and 
non-government organizations. Excluded from clearance are all surveys 
conducted by government agencies for internal use only. Any research, 
publication or public document utilizing results from surveys that have not 
undergone survey clearance are to issue appropriate disclaimers. 
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Failure to comply with this provision shall result in the imposition of a 
fine of Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php50,OOO.OO) to One Hundred Thousand Pesos 
(Php100,000.00), depending on the gravity and seriousness of such non- 
compliance. 
SEC. 26. 
Nondesigfafed Sectoral Statistics. National and local government 
institutions, including government owned and/or controlled corporations, 
may generate special sectoral statistics consistent with their mandated tasks. 
Sectoral statistics should, however, be undertaken under the direct 
supervision of a statistical officer duly certified by the PSRTI with a Certificate 
of Basic Statistical Competence. The executing agency should submit to 
STATPHIL the resultant statistical reports. Databases should be given to 
PSRTI for inclusion in the central data archive. 
e. 
27. 
Statistics for LGUs. The generation of provincial, city, municipal 
and barangay statistics which are by-products of administrative reporting 
systems inherent in administering the devolved basic services, shall be 
continued by the LGUs consistent with the manner, form and frequency being 
adopted by the STATPHIL and the concerned national line agencies. For the 
generation of other statistics with sub-national disaggregation, the SPC shall 
designate which of the statistics are to be generated by the STATPHIL and the 
national agencies or by the local government or jointly by the national and 
local governments. In cases where these will require the conduct of surveys 
and other undertakings for the purpose of producing local level statistics, 
LGUs shall share in the cost of said surveys. 
SEC.28. 
Statistics Cadre. The STATPHIL shall assign at least one 
statistical officer in department in the executive branch. The statistical officer 
shall be responsible for providing technical assistance in order to insure 
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proper implementation of statistics policies promulgated by the SPC. The 
STATPHIL shall have divisions at each province, and highly urbanized city. 
These offices shall be responsible for providing technical assistance on 
statistics to the provincial, city and municipal governments. This technical 
assistance includes training of city, municipal, and barangay data collectors. 
The heads of these offices will be the point persons for all censuses, surveys 
and other data collection conducted by the STATPHIL. These offices shall be 
equipped to process basic data from the STATPHIL databases into province 
and municipal level useful tabulations. Statisticians of these offices will help 
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identify minimum basic data needs for cities, municipalities and provinces 
(starting with what is available from the LGUs and major statistical agencies 
of the national government), design and produce a statistical database for the 
municipalities and a statistics brochure. All LGUs shall establish their 
respective statistical units, but they shall be responsible for the 
recruitment/appointment of statistical personnel. Personnel of such LGU 
statistical units should obtain a Certification of Basic Statistical Competence 
from PSRTI. The Chiefs of the LGU statistical units shall comply with the 
reporting/monitoring requirements imposed by the STATPHIL division 
heads of the provincial statistical offices. Local chief executives may also 
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designate someone in each barangay to be responsible for data collection 
required to update a minimum set of statistics and indicators. The STATPHIL 
division heads of the provincial statistical offices will also exercise technical 
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supervision over the municipal civil registrars, including training and 
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supervision of barangay data collectors of vital events. 
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SEC. 29. 
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PSS Linkages. The STATPHIL and PSRTI are to be linked with 
other national government agencies and instrumentalities, and the LGUs to 
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ensure proper and sufficient coordination and the effective implementation of 
this Act. 
SEC. 30. 
Improvement of Statistical Literacy: Toward the improvement of 
literacy in statistics and the increase of statistical human resources, the 
Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education 
(CHED) are to work with the STATPHIL and the PSRTI. The DepEd shall 
develop mechanisms for incorporating basic statistics concepts in both the 
primary and secondary education curriculum. The CHED shall institute 
reforms to ensure that all college students take at least a three unit Basic 
Statistics course, as well as provide mechanisms for promoting the quality of 
this statistics education. 
SEC. 31. 
Statistics Vision 2020. By 2020, all departments .of national 
government, government owned and/or controlled corporations, and LGUs 
shall have established statistics units in their respective organizations to 
provide statistical information for policy and program formulation. The 
magnitude of these units shall depend on the extent of statistical operations in 
the institution. The personnel in these statistical units should have a 
Certification of Basic Statistical Competence from the PSRTI. 
SEC. 32. 
Abolition of Existing Government Bodies. The NSCB, the NSO and 
the SRTC are to be abolished and their appropriations, records and properties, 
if any, and such personnel as may be necessary shall be transferred to the 
STATPHIL and the PSRTI. 
SEC. 33. 
Transitory Provision. Upon approval of this Act, a task force shall 
be created to carry out the requisite and smooth transition for the effective 
implementation of this Act. 
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The task force shall consist of the President of the Philippine Statistical 
Association as chair with the following as members: the NSCB Secretary- 
General, the NSO Administrator, the BAS Director, the BLES Director, the 
SRTC Executive Director, the BSP Deputy-Governor, an undersecretary of the 
DBM, the Dean of the UP Diliman School of Statistics, the Director of the UP 
Los Banos Institute of Statistics, and the Deputy Director General for National 
Development of the NEDA. 
The task force shall be charged with the following functions: 
1. prepare a more detailed organizational structure of the STATPHIL and 
the PSRTI including the corresponding human resource complement; 
2. prepare qualification standards for these human resources; 
3. review the qualifications of existing personnel of the "50, 
the NSCB, 
the BAS, the SRTC and the BLES to determine who will be considered to fill in 
the positions at the STATPHIL and the PSRTI; and 
4. prepare transfer of real property, buildings, equipment and other 
capital and financial assets of the NSO, the NSCB, the BAS, the SRTC and the 
BLES to the STATPHIL and the PSRTI, as the case may be. 
The Task Force shall work with dispatch on the above enumerated 
functions preferably within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act and 
shall determine whether or not the required transition has already been 
complied with and satisfied. 
Nonetheless, in the interim or pending the fulfillment of the above 
enumerated functions by the Task Force, the NSCB, the NSO, the SRTC, the 
BLES and the BAS shall continue to discharge their respective mandates and 
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compulsory retirement. 
SEC. 34. 
lmplementing Rules and Regulations. The SPC together with the 
STATPHIL, the PSRTI, the NEDA and other concerned agencies of 
government that may be determined by the SPC, shall prepare and 
promulgate, consistent with the provisions of this Act, the rules and 
regulations required to effectively implement this Act. 
SEC. 35. 
Fund for Reorganization. The amount necessary for the effective 
implementation of the provisions of this Act shall be obtained from the 
savings or unused appropriations, if there be any, of the agencies affected. 
Thereafter, such sums needed to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 36. 
Separability Clause. If any part, section or provision of this Act is 
declared invalid or unconstitutional, no other parts, sections or provisions 
thereof shall be affected thereby. 
SEC.37. 
Repealing Clause. Executive Order No. 121 and other laws, 
decrees, ordinances, rules, regulations, other executive issuances, or parts 
thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
SEC. 38. 
Approved, 
Efectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. 
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