XU STUDE IS THE 21ST PSQ NATIONAL CHAMP

Jay Nelson T. Corbita who represents Region 10 declared as the 21st Philippine Statistics Quiz (PSQ) National Champion bested 16 other regional champions with a total score of 25 points, barely and successfully won the the title as he competed questions and answers on statistical theories and problems held on December 04, 2012 at the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Auditorium CHED-HEDC Bldg., c.p. Garcia Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.  It was Region 10’s second PSQ championship trophy since 2007 made first by Central Mindanao University student.

For this year, it was Corbita, a 16 years old BS in Mechanical Engineering student of Xavier University, Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro City who was awarded a cash prize, a PSQ medal and a specially designed trophy mentored by his coach Ms. Diana Jane N. Macalong, instructor of the same University who was also given a special recognition and a cash prize.

(From left to right)  In photo are Carmelita N. Ericta, NSO Administrator, Jay Nelson T. Corbita, the PSQ Champion,  Nieves L. Osorio, PSA President, Dr. Jose Ramon G. Albert, NSCB Secretary-General and Dr. Romulo A. Virola, NSCB Former Secretary-General and this year’s Chair of Board of Judges.  

Henry Jefferson C. Morco a BS Applied Mathematics student of Ateneo de Manila University (NCR) came second, while Jundel F. Sebial a BS in Civil Engineering student of Surigao State College of Technology (Caraga), was the third-placer. Other winners were Martin Allen S. Pascual a BS in Accountancy student of St. Louis University (CAR), in fourth place and Carl Jervin R. Magtira a BS in Civil Engineering of University of the Philippines – Los Baños (Region IV-A), in fifth place. All five national winners were given a cash prize of P30,000, 25,000, 20,000, 15,000 and 10,000 respectively. Likewise, respective winning coaches received a cash prize equivalent to half of their ward's prize aside from a special recognition from the PSQ organizers.

The Philippine Statistics Quiz (PSQ) is an annual competition designed for college freshmen enrolled in any private or public college or university in the Philippines. Launched in 1992, the contest is a joint undertaking of the National Statistics Office (NSO), the primary statistical arm of the government, and the Philippine Statistical Association (PSA), a nonstock, nonprofit organization of professional statisticians from government and non-government agencies and the academe.

The objectives of the PSQ are to assess the competency and skills of students in statistics as acquired from the secondary education curriculum; to promote, enhance, and instill awareness and appreciation of the importance and value of science, statistics in particular, among the students, and to generate public awareness on the important uses of statistics in all development-planning activities and win overall support for all government statistical activities.

In this competition was a pride not only for the Cagayan de Oro, but one for the entire Region 10. Corbita proved with all his effort to be selected as the best among the “bests”.

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BUSINESSWEEK MINDANAO SUPPORTS NSO’s REPORT WRITING WORKSHOP

The National Statistics Office invites Businessweek Mindanao personnel Mr. Dante Sudaria,  BusinessWeek and Mindanao Daily publisher and Mr. Shaun Alejandre Uy, Businessweek Mindanao editor as guests and at same time reactants during the Report Writing Workshop on November 21, 2012 at Chali Beach Resort and Conference Center, Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City with participants from NSO provincial offices of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental and Regional Office 10.   Each of the NSO provincial offices presents  three (3) 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH) indicators during the said workshop in preparation of writing a news report.

This report writing workshop aims to inculcate the NSO employees the appropriate skills for news writing and reporting generally as well as its basic requirements such as 5W’s of the  event which refers to the Who, What, When, Where and Why to come up with a clear and logically structured reports because reports play an essential role in many operations especially business operations. Mr. Uy even emphasizes that as a news writer one of the things must consider is the ‘target reader’. It needs to be read, understood, and often, acted upon . The fact that news affects the way we perceive and act on our decisions. 

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Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan) RANKS # 1 in 2012 Philippine Statistics Quiz…

Xavier University, Ateneo de Cagayan bagged number one in the 21^st Philippine Statistics Quiz (PSQ) Regional elimination conducted by the National Statistics Office last November 20, 2012 at Chali Beach Resort, Cagayan de Oro. It was participated by six Universities and three Colleges in region 10: Central Mindanao University of Bukidnon, Misamis University and La Salle University of Misamis Occidental, Mindanao State University of Iligan City, Xavier University and Mindanao University of Science and Technology of Cagayan de Oro, Camiguin Polytechnic State College and Fatima College of Camiguin, Misamis Institute of technology, Inc of Ozamis City and Christ the King College de Maranding of Lanao del Norte.

            PSQ Regional champ is 16 year old, Jay Nelson T. Corbita BS Mechanical Engineering of XU, he will represent region 10 at the PSQ National Finals in Manila on December 4, 2012.  Second runner-up is Hudson E. Cordero 17, BS in Electrical Engineering of Xavier University and third runner-up: Ariel R. Balinas 17, BS Accountancy of Central Mindanao University.          

            The Board of Judges was chaired by the Commission on Higher Education 10 Assistant Regional Director Mr. Juanito Demetrio, and members: Ms. Brenda Lynn M. Castro,Officer-In-Charge of the National Statistical Coordination Board 10 and Ms. Cristine M. Timog, Statistician I Bureau of Agriculture Statistics.

           

The PSQ is an annual search which aims to assess the competency and skills of all Filipino first-time freshmen students currently enrolled during the second semester of the school year 2012-2013 in colleges and universities all over the country. It also hopes to promote, enhance, and instill awareness and appreciation of the importance and value of science, statistics in particular, among the students. Lastly, it seeks to generate public awareness on the importance of statistics in all development-planning activities and win overall support for all government statistical activities.

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Normin’s underemployment highest in Mindanao

WHEN statistics start to speak and tell you that the January 2012 Labor Force Survey (LFS) results of the country registered an employment rate of 92.8 percent, which is not significantly different from the estimate reported in January 2011, which was 92.6 percent, what will be your outright reaction?

In the same vein, when statistics will unfold before your eyes and show you another findings obtained from the survey that of the total employed persons in the Philippines in January 2012, 62.1 percent were working full time while 36.7 percent were part-time workers, what will be your immediate response?

Such rhetorical questions might lead one to think critically and to start untying the entangled thread that complicates the issue on underemployment as one brings to the fore these questions – “Who are the underemployed?” “How does underemployment differ from unemployment?

While unemployment has been a common topic of discussion, underemployment and its effects have not been given much attention, even though the number of underemployed workers has also increased.

It has been said that “unemployment and underemployment are considered as the two difficult socio-economic problems that can cause undesirable effects on the person’s economic and social status.

The easiest way to present the concept that illustrates the meaning of unemployment is when one is in a jobless condition. On the other hand, underemployment refers to a condition wherein an employed individual’s work is insufficient to fulfill his needs. Moreover, employed persons who express the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job, or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer working hours are considered underemployed.

According to NSO Administrator Carmelita N. Ericta, “the number of underemployed persons in the country in January 2012 was estimated at 7.0 million placing the underemployment rate at 18.8 percent. The underemployment rate in January 2011 was estimated at 19.4 percent. Fifty-nine percent of the total underemployed persons were visibly underemployed or working for less than 40 hours during the reference week. Those working for 40 hours or more accounted for 38.8 percent. A large percentage of the underemployed were working in the agriculture sector (43.8%) and services sector (40.5%). The underemployed in the industry sector accounted for 15.7 percent.”

What about Northern Mindanao ?

Based on the Preliminary Results of the January 2012 Labor Force Survey conducted by the National Statistics Office, the underemployment rate for Northern Mindanao was posted at 26.6 percent. Though it decreased by 1.7 percentage points from 28.3 percent a year ago, it still registered as the highest among the Mindanao regions and also higher than the national figure of 18.8 percent. Some of this number of people employed for less than 40 hours a week means that there is less money being brought home to pay for living expenses, barely enough to pay for the basic needs of the family.

Underemployment is often related to marginal work, and therefore creates substantial distress and hardship to the individuals. Most underemployed persons are living on low wages and/or in poverty and they have nothing to spare for the education of their children, leading to an increase in the number of uneducated children and those who have dropped out from school. This would then pose another problem on the labor force in the future as these children would find it hard to look for a job that would fit their qualification. As cited in an online article in the Journal of Management, “‘I Have a Job, But…’ A Review of Underemployment,” by University of Nevada, Reno Assistant Professor Frances M. McKee-Ryan and University of Alabama Assistant Professor Jaron Harvey, underemployment brings potential detrimental effects to individuals, organizations and society.

Along with the decreasing trend on the underemployment, Northern Mindanao also experienced a decline on the unemployment rate which was estimated at 4.3 percent, indicating 0.6 percentage point lower compared a year ago with 4.9 percent. Despite the vast development of numerous establishments and industries in the region, still some people were not able to get hold of a job.

On the other hand, the labor force participation rate for the region is posted at 69.2 percent. It showed a slight increase of 0.8 percentage point from 68.4 percent in 2011. This placed the regional employment rate at 95.7 percent, higher by 0.6 percent compared to last year’s rate of 95.1 percent. However, employment growth was not sufficient to reduce unemployment because of population growth and increased labor force participation.

Across industry groups, those employed in the services sector comprised the largest group, making up nearly half (45.1%) of the total employed persons. Employed persons engaged in wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles comprised the largest group in the services sector (17.0% of total employed).

Workers in the agriculture sector comprised the second largest group, consisting of 44.7 percent of the total employed persons. Only 10.2 percent of the total employed was in the industry sector.

Among the various occupation groups, the laborers and unskilled workers comprised the largest group making up 39.6 percent of the total employed persons in January 2012. Farmers, forestry workers and fishermen were the second largest group with 18.5 percentage share.

Indeed, underemployment might be a complex phenomenon that is difficult to study, but if it would not be given attention, it will continue to bring more challenges that will affect the individuals and the economy.

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Aves conferred as father of brgy civil registration

         THE Philippine Association of Civil Registrars (PACR) through its President Dorotheo O. Lacbain Jr., a municipal civil registrar—conferred to Director Salvador A. Aves of the National Statistics Office, Region 10 the title Father of Barangay Civil Registration System (BCRS)" during the 5th Regional Convention on Barangay Civil Registration System held on October 11-12, 2012 at Grand Caprice Restaurant and Convention Center in Cagayan de Oro City. NSO Administrator and Civil Registrar General Carmelita N. Ericta with Director Lourdes Hufana of the Civil Registry Department and more than 1,700 participants witnessed the conferment of title to Mr. Aves. Earlier, Mr. Aves conceptualized and implemented the Barangay Civil Registration System (BCRS) whenhe introduced it in Region 10 as its flagship project then and was aggressively implemented in provinces of Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur. His idea of BCRS was conceived largely due to his concern for the less privileged and deprived sector of the populace, the indigenous peoples. BCRS was introduced with the belief that if civil registration is conveyed to the barangay level, the recognized constraints will be countered; thus, extending the civil registration services to the barangay constituents. The objective of the project is to include the IPs and Muslims in the Civil Registration System, thereby including them in the privileges that complement those who are registered. It was a humble contribution and vehicle in instituting change that could propel them towards the mainstream of Philippine society, while at the same time protecting their distinct cultural practices and traditions as guaranteed by the Constitution. BCRS has been adopted by other regions until it has been practiced nationwide. It also gained recognition in Asia and the Pacific as a viable model of improving the registration of births. The German agency, GTZ, got interested in trying this scheme in Indonesia where civil registration cum population administration system was established. Mr. Aves was also conferred the titled "Father of Philippine Association of Building Officials "in October 28, 2003 at the Philippine Convention Center, Manila in recognition of his efforts in unifying the Building Officials into one cohesive and united group empowered to plan and amend the National Building Code, thereby making it responsive to the changing times. This was triggered when Mr. Aves realized that the quality of private building construction statistics processed by NSO was deteriorating after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) ceased to exercise supervision over building officials due to the implementation of the Local Government Code.

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Looking back: Stepping forward thru BCRS

A number of theories on empowerment have taken the time to evolve to make it a very substantive word. There is no doubt that the concept of empowerment has assumed an increasing interest to researchers, practitioners and even to the citizens. A very simple way of understanding empowerment is to equate it with increased awareness and increased control of one's life. One can surmise that the opposite of empowerment is powerlessness which according to Keiffer (1984) when viewed at the individual level can be seen as the expectation of the person that his/her own actions will be ineffective in influencing the outcome of life events.

What has this to do with civil registration?

If we were to take a look at the 2010 Census of Population and Housing, we would see that Northern Mindanao recorded 4,297,323 population and a growth rate of 2.14 since the last two decades. This implies that there is a corresponding growing need for more efforts to raise the level of awareness among the people to register the vital events of their lives - births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages, and all such events that have something to do with an individual's entrance and departure from life together with the changes in civil status that may occur to a person during his lifetime. Two decades and three years ago, the NSO -UNICEF Multi Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) revealed that of the 1999 five million or 7 percent of the 75 million Filipinos living in the coun-try were not registered with the Local Civil Registrars. This was also supported by the CENSUS 2000 report which indicated that three out of ten Filipino children under the age of five did not have birth certificates.

It may be recalled that in 1993, the Barangay Civil Registration System (BCRS) was introduced in Region 10 to improve the low level of civil registration with the belief that if civil registration is conveyed to the barangay level , the recognized constraints (such as topographical features which made it difficult for people especially the indigenous people to travel to the town center just to have vital events registered) will be countered. The idea of BCRS was conceived largely due to the concern of this author for the less privileged and deprived sector of the populace, the indigenous peoples. It was designed to be a humble contribution and vehicle in instituting change that could propel them towards the mainstream of Philippine society while protecting their distinct cultural practices and traditions as guaranteed by the Constitution at the same time. The objective of the project is to include IPs and Muslims in the Civil Registration System; thus, including them in the privileges that complement those who are registered. BCRS was first introduced in Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur as a flagship project of Region 10 which later on became a viable model in improving the civil registration in the country. BCRS is basically a process of facilitating the registration of vital events at the barangay level through the barangay LGUs with the Barangay Secretary as the Focal Person. Putting BCRS into action has actualized the empowerment of the barangays, and has given invisible children who had been deprived of their right to a name their identity through birth registration.

Thus, it is the fervent hope of the organizers of the 5th BCRS Regional Conference that this undertaking will lead the way ahead to a more empowered and more mobilized barangays. After all, "Sa Barangay Nagsisimula Ang Pagbabago."

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NSO R-10, PCAR to host N. M’nao registrars confab

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The National Statistics Office of Region 10 (NSO-10) under the leadership of Regional Director Salvador A. Aves, and the Philippine Association of Civil Registrars (PCAR) spearheaded by its president, MCR Dorotheo O. Lacbain, has joined forces in convening the barangay officials and local civil registrars of Northern Mindanao in one forum dubbed as the 5th Regional Convention on Barangay Civil Registration System (BCRS), at Grand Caprice Convention Center on October 11-12.

NSO Administrator and Civil Registrar General Carmelita N. Ericta will grace the convention as Keynote Speaker. The BCRS regional convention will revolve around the theme "Sa Barangay Nagsisimula Ang Pagbabago," according to Director Aves. Tomas P. Africa, Consultant of PARIS 21 and former NSO Administrator and Civil Registrar General will also elucidate the theme via discussion of the Significance of BCRS in National Development. Topics of current significance such as RA 10172 ,otherwise known as "An Act Authorizing C/MCRS to Correct Clerical Errors in the Day and Month of Birth or Sex without Judicial Order" will be tackled by Dir. Lourdes J. Hufana of the Civil Registry Department of NSO Central Office.

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Revisiting family income and expenditures: A better way to understand poverty issues, concerns

THE issues on poverty have arrested the attention of so many researchers who dealt with a number of studies that resulted to innumerable theories, methodologies and findings. For instance, the Global Development Research Center (http:// www.gdrc.org/icm/povertycauses.htm) in its compilation of article on the causes of poverty and related issues presented two types of poverty: Individual and Aggregate. The former is explained by individual circumstances and/or characteristics of people such as amount of education, skill, experience, intelligence, health, handicaps, age, work orientation, time horizon, culture of poverty and discrimination, together with race, sex, and others. The latter is explained by two types of aggregate poverty theory: case and generic. According to case theories of poverty, aggregate poverty is just the sum of individual poverty, whereas the generic illustrates that poverty is explained by general, economy-wide problems, such as inadequate non-poverty employment opportunities, inadequate overall demand (macro problems, macro policy), and low national income (Less Developed Country). However, layman's concept equates poverty with the condition of low or slowly rising income that could not cope with costs that have risen fast or if not faster through inflation and rapid population growth. This gives people the impression that the levels of income and consumption are critical to determining who is poor. For Mr. Juan de la Cruz, being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs, because you have to budget your income against your expenditure. The quality of poverty estimates relies heavily on the data sources. One of the sources of data for poverty estimation in the Philippines is the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES). The FIES is the source of detailed information on income and expenditures of Filipino families. The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) is in charge of releasing the official poverty statistics that are based on (per Capita) income data sourced from the FIES. The FIES is a nationwide survey of households undertaken by the National Statistics Office. It is the main source of data on family income and expenditures. Total family income includes primary income and receipts from other sources received by all family members during the reference period as participants in any economic activity (either as laborer, proprietor, capitalist or entrepreneur) or as recipients of transfers, pensions & grants, among others. On the other hand, family expenditures refer to the expenses or disbursements made by the family purely for personal consumption during the reference year. These excludes all expenses in relation to farm or business operations, investments ventures, purchase of real property and other disbursements which do not involve personal consumption. What is the status of the family income and expenditures of Northern Mindanao compared to national figures? In 2009, the average annual family income of Filipino families in Northern Mindanao was posted at P165 thousand which was 16.2 percent higher than the 2006 estimated average of P142 thousand. Similarly the national figure also manifested an increase of 19.1%, that is, from 173 thousands in 2006 to 206 thousands in 2009. Adjusting to the inflation rate between 2006 and 2009, the average annual family income in 2009 posted at P165 thousand would be valued at P98 thousand at 2000 prices. However, there is a big disparity in the average income between the bottom 40 percent and the upper 60 percent. The average income for the bottom 40% is 55 thousand while the average income for the upper 60% is 238 thousand. On the national scope, interesting but frustrating data on family expenditures reveal that poor families spent 64 thousand annually on the average which is surprisingly two thousand pesos more than their average annual income. In contrast, families in the upper 70 percent income group spent 224 thousand pesos a year, on the average; hence, could generate savings of 44 thousand pesos in a year, on the average. With regard the Northern Mindanao data, there is a savings of 43 thousand pesos in a year, on the average, for the upper 60% income group which spent 195 thousand pesos in a year, on the average. However, in the bottom 40% income group, they spent all what they have earned such that they did not have any savings at all. Nevertheless, combining all income groups, a savings of 26 thousand was noted in 2009. The 2009 Gini Coefficient was recorded at .4737 in Northern Mindanao down by 1.4 percent from .4806 in 2006. A lower gini coefficient indicates a movement towards a more equal income distribution among families.

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Looking through one's lens

MY several readings on macroeconomics of labor markets reveal one reality, that is, the need for more studies that will address basically all sectors of the society. For instance, the study conducted by Sergiy Stetsenko of the University of Pennsylvania (2010) shows the change in behavior of fertility rate at business cycle frequencies in the United States between the 1970s and 1990s and it further shows how the cyclical and secular properties of fertility can be used to distinguish among several proposed theories that account for the rise in labor force participation of married mothers. Another study by Marion Warmuth (2007) deals with managing the aging work force and it discusses the challenges arising from it. It shows that the prejudices and discrimination attached to older employees such as being resistant to new approaches or new technologies and being less productive can be managed through changing the mindset of employers and the company culture. It also supports findings of a survey of a research institute that elderly are able to manage difficult situations through their routine and experience and up-to-date knowledge and education. So what is the bottom line? What I want to put across in this article is the realization that while it is true that the National Statistics Office is periodically conducting the Labor Force Survey, there is a corresponding need for researchers - be it from the corporate world or the academe- to use the NSO data as take-off point for further studies. It is not enough to obtain LFS data that gives number of employed, unemployed , or underemployed, it is also vital to see through one's lens the perspectives and consequences of a given situation and given set of data through research. What is this Labor Force Survey (LFS) ? The LFS aims to provide a quantitative framework for the preparation of plans and formulation of policies affecting the labor market. Specifically, the survey is designed to provide statistics on levels and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment for the country, as a whole, and for each of the administrative regions, including provinces and key cities.The LFS has undergone changes in its questionnaire design starting in July 1987 where modifications in the concepts and definitions for measuring labor force and employment characteristics were adopted. The design is based on a past week reference period and new concept of availability and looking for work is adopted. With regard the concept, the Labor Force or Economically Active Population refers to population 15 years old and over who are either employed or unemployed. On the other hand, Persons Not in the Labor Force are those persons who are not looking for work because of reasons such as housekeeping ,schooling, etc. Examples are housewives, students, disabled or retired persons. For most part, statistics have been limited to the socio-economic data at the national level. It is very evident though that there is the need for information at the local level. In this regard, the LFS sample design has been drawn in such a way that accurate lower level classification would be possible. How are we going to look at the inputs of the LFS? For more effective application, it is preferable to look at the latest results- the July 2012 Labor Force Survey (LFS), which can be easily compared with the July 2011 data. Translating this set of data into figures, we would be looking at an estimated 63.1 million population aged 15 years and over with an employment rate of 93.0 per cent (almost the same with the 92.9 percent in July 2011), unemployment rate of 7.0 percent and an underemployment rate of 22.7 per cent. Among the unemployed persons, there were more males (62.1%) than females (37.9%). Majority (51.2%) of the unemployed persons belong to age group 15-24 years. Looking at the regional data, Cagayan Valley recorded the highest employment rate of 96.8 percent, followed by MIMAROPA and Zamboanga Peninsula (95.9% each). The lowest employment rate was recorded in National Capital Region (NCR) with 90.1 percent. It is interesting to know that those who worked in the services sector comprised the largest proportion, which posted more than half or 53.3 percent of the estimated employed persons. Equally interesting is the fact that those engaged in wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles comprised the highest percentage (18.6% of total employed). Those engaged in agriculture sector was recorded the second largest group which accounted for 30.9 percent of the total employed. Only 16.0 percent of the total employed consisted of workers in the industry sector, with the manufacturing (8.5% of the total employed) and construction (6.1% of the total employed) sub-sectors having the highest proportions. Education experts may be interested in looking into this information.With regard the highest grade completed, one-third (33.3%) of the unemployed persons were high school graduates, 13.9 percent were college undergraduates, while 19.2 percent were college graduates. Indeed, both business and academe can gain more insights by investigating further through research that will certainly address their most urgent need.

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AN INSIGHTFUL LOOK AT CIVIL REGISTRATION AND RA 10172

WHEN I was reading James C. Dobson's statement about marriage which says" Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without”, I was inspired to look at the latest statistics on marriage taking place in Northern Mindanao. What I saw was the total number of marriages occurring in 2010 which registered a total of 24,484 which is 1,571 higher than that of 2009. Then I shifted to statistics on live births - the latest of which is 2009 which posted a total of 80,747 live births consisting of 41,990 females and 38,756 males with a sex ratio of 108. Birth, death and marriage statistics are the milestones of human lives, and the most common way of collecting information is through civil registration-an administrative system employed by governments to record the occurrence of such events in the lives of their population (Hufana,2010). Civil Registration is defined as the continuous permanent, compulsory and universal recording of the occurrence and characteristics of vital events and other civil status pertaining to the population as provided by decree, law or regulation in accordance with the legal requirement of each country (United Nations 2001). The civil registration system addresses various needs. For individuals, vital records provide legal proof of identity, civil status, age and relationship. On the other hand, vital statistics derived from the aggregation of individual records provide the tools for the demographic analyses needed for economic and social planning and development. It also provides insights into various health information such as leading causes of death as well as death sex ratio. For instance, since 2000, there have been more reported deaths of males than of females. In 2008, the proportion of male deaths was higher than female deaths in all age groups except in age group 80 and over. Disparity between sexes was prominent from infancy until after retirement ages. The infant death sex ratio in 2008 was 143.7 , which indicates higher risk of dying among male infants than female infants ( NSO Philippine Yearbook,2010). If we were to take a insightful look at how civil registration in the Philippines has gone through in addressing the growing needs of the people, we would see significant developments such as RA 9048, otherwise known as AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CITY OR MUNICIPAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OR THE CONSUL GENERAL TO CORRECT A CLERICAL OR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR IN AN ENTRY AND/OR CHANGE OF FIRST NAME OR NICKNAME IN THE CIVIL REGISTER WITHOUT NEED OF A JUDICIAL ORDER, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE ARTICLES 376 AND 412 OF THE CIVIL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES. Such was the act passed in 2001. The passage of time witnessed growing needs among petitioners with regard some errors in their birth and marriage certificates .Thus, on August 19,2012 , President Benigno S.C. Aquino III signed into law Republic Act No. 10172, an act further authorizing the city or municipal civil registrar or the consul general to correct clerical or typographical errors in the day and month in the date of birth or sex of a person appearing in the civil register without need of a judicial order, amending R.A. NO. 9048. Clerical or typographical error refers to a mistake committed in the performance of clerical work in writing, copying, transcribing, or typing an entry in the civil register, such as misspelled name or misspelled place of birth, mistake in the entry in the date of birth or the sex of the person, which is visible to the eyes or obvious to the understanding, and can be corrected or changed only by reference to other existing record or records. Provided, however, that no correction must involve change of nationality, age , or status of the petitioner. This law will ease corrections and will spare the petitioner from undergoing the tedious court proceedings. Requesting parties are required to support petition with the following documents: A certified true machine copy of the certificate or of the page of the registry book containing the entry or entries sought to be corrected or changes; at least two public or private documents showing the correct entry or entries upon which the correction or change shall be based: other documents which the petitioner or the city or municipal civil registrar or the consul general may consider relevant and necessary for the approval of the petition. As provided ,"clerical or typographical error refers to a mistake committed in the performance of clerical work in writing, copying, transcribing or typing an entry in the civil register that is harmless and innocuous, such as misspelled name or misspelled place of birth or the like, which is visible to the eyes or obvious to the understanding, and can be corrected or changed only by reference to other existing record or records:” However, it strictly provides that no correction must involve the change of nationality, age, status or sex of the petitioner. Its effectivity shall take place fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two newspapers of general circulation.

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Beyond the Numbers: What Do Prices Tell?

While I was reviewing the classic work of George Stigler on the evolution of distribution theory which has been a landmark in the history of economic thought, I was motivated to write sort of a sequel to my previous article which focused on Consumer Price Index (CPI). Thus, the centerpiece of this issue is a relevant topic that has something to do with price: the Producer Price Index (PPI).

In his article titled "Some Recent Developments In The Theory Of Production", Robert M. Solow of the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology stressed that "mainstream economic theory assumes that firms seek to maximize profits. Production theory, then, asks what combination of inputs (known as factors of production) will generate the quantity of output that yields maximum profit." On the other hand, we can also relate to the dominant production theory in use today, the transformation theory, which is based on input, process and output (IP0). According to Koskela "this theory seeks to optimize the entire production phase by optimizing each individual task, assuming that minimizing the effort and cost of each task translates directly to maximum throughput and customer value."

These theories and the rest of the theories are very interesting and may have many implications. However, what is more interesting is to know what Producers Price Index (PPI) measure and what implications does it offer .

The Producer Price Index (PPI) measures average changes in prices received by domestic producers for the sale of their output. This is generated by the National Statistics Office through the results of the Producers Price survey (PPS) conducted nationwide.

According to the preliminary results, the Year- on-year growth of the Producer Price Index for the manufacturing sector shows a decline when it slowly decreased to - 0.3 percent in July 2012 from -2.2 percent in June. As indicated in the report, this could be traced to the double —digit decrements posted by furniture and fixtures (-42.6°/0).The other side of the picture, however, shows six major sectors that posted increases headed by rubber and plastic products.

Looking at a month-on -month growth ,the PPI slowly improved to -0.8 percent in July 2012 from -2.0 percent in June 2012. As indicated in the report, Furniture and fixtures led the eleven sectors with a double-digit downtick recorded at -17.9 percent. On the other hand, five sectors posted increases led by petroleum products (4.5%).

Going back to the concept on input costs… output prices, we can infer that changes in PPIs reflect what actually is occurring with prices charged to buyers from month to month, thereby making PPIs a significant price measurement tool for researchers, policymaking and business purposes.

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A Two-digit inflation rate registered in Camiguin

A FREQUENT QUESTION raised by consumers is “how much would a specified amount of money at a certain period of time be worth today?" If you would be looking at price increases on the same basket of goods, even for just a short period of time, do you take it as enough warning of a coming periods of inflation?

               Indeed, consumers and investors consider inflation as an economic phenomenon that has an increasing change in the price of goods and services. Price inflation is typically measured using the Consumer Price Index (CPI .which takes into consideration a constant basket of goods.

               It is the National Statistics Office that generates the CPI.  Accordingly, NSO had revised last June the base year from 2000 to 2006 including the weights for the consumer price index (CPI) to ensure that the key measure reflects the current situation. As reported by the agency, “as household expenditure patterns vary (they tend to spend less on some items and more on others), weights are used to ensure that the CPI reflects the relative importance of each item or group of items in the market basket. The weights are expressed as a proportion of household expenditure for an item to the total national expenditure."

               According to the latest results of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) Survey conducted by the National Statistics Office, the Philippine’s annual headline inflation rate increased to 3.2 percent in July 2012 from 2.8 percent in June 2011. This was due to higher annual increments registered in all the commodity groups except those in clothing and footwear, health, transport, and education indices. Inflation a year ago was 4.9 percent.

               On the other hand, inflation in the National Capital Region (NCR) jumped to 3.1 percent in July from 2.2 percent in June. Except in clothing and footwear, health, transport, communication, and education indices, all the commodity groups posted higher annual gains. Annual inflation in areas outside NCR grew 3.2 percent in July from 3.0 percent in June. lt resulted from higher annual upticks in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and recreation and culture. Moreover, the country’s month-on-month inflation decelerated to 0.3 percent in July from 0.5 percent in June. Price increases were observed in food items like rice, meat, fish, vegetables and sugar. However, these were tempered by the downward price adjustments in cooking oil, selected condiments and seasonings, gasoline and diesel.

               ln Region 10, inflation rate was highest in Camiguin with 14.7 and the only province in the region with a two digit rate. This was attributed to the significant increase on the provincial index for housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels by 30.9 percentage points. The commodity  price index for all income households in Camiguin posted  at 154.3 which is also noted as the highest in the region.   

               So, how do inflation and CPI affect you? Inflation erodes your purchasing power. This means that, as prices of goods and services increase, consumers can purchase or consume less and less for the same amount of money. This would suggest that your peso will be able to buy fewer goods next year, and yet fewer goods every year after that.

             Moreover, an inverse relationship exists between purchasing power and CPI. Therefore, we expect that the purchasing power of the peso (PPP) will decline if CPI is high. If we try to look at the purchasing power of peso in Camiguin, it registered the lowest value with P0.65 and yet highest in CPI. Other provinces in region l0’s PPP ranged from P.70 to P 0.75 and the CPls were lower compared with the province of Camiguin.

               The Purchasing Power of Peso shows how much the peso in the base period is worth in another period. It gives an indication of the real value of the peso in a given period relative to the peso value in the base period.

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From Envisioning to Actualizing- the Digitization of Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture

I would like to start with a striking statement from  Maxwell’s 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, the” Law of the Niche” which says that “All players have a  place where they add the most value.” And this is exactly what is going to happen- the convergence of various line agencies which puts the right people into their strength zones will definitely bring out success for the attainment of the goals and objectives of the  Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) which purports to produce an electronic compilation of basic information on farmers, farm laborers, and fishermen, the target beneficiaries of agriculture-related programs and services.

This is perhaps the most awaited response to the lingering problems that beset the Philippine agriculture. We know for a fact that numerous tribulations are encountered by the Filipino farmers and fishermen. Accompanied by a lack of right knowledge to make the most out of their fields or catch, many Filipino farmers and fishermen are adhering to the traditions of the past, while wrestling problems of the present (not to mention the devastation brought about by climate change) and most probably attacking the emerging problems of the future. To make matters worse is the irony of seeing food producers suffering from hunger when harvest season has not yet come, since they had spent all their money on fertilizers and pesticides, while on the other hand, environmental problems had reduced our fishermen to lamentable state.

The grain of truth is this: “Filipino farmers and fishermen need not be poor. Filipino farmers and fishermen need not suffer. Filipino farmers and fishermen need not be tied to the bondage of poverty, True, in the past there had been solutions designed to alleviate their situation, but these farmers and fishermen were mere invisible faces. Their identity was not known. There was no record whom to assist. It was difficult to pin-point the exact persons who need direct assistance. Thus, there is an imperative need to know exactly whom to reach and where to reach them. In short, a reliable data base is essential.

However, problems must not stop us from looking for solutions. Management principles dictate that it does not need special talent to see problems, rather one has to think in terms of solutions in order to make a big difference. And the solution that has been crafted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is the conceptualization of the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, otherwise known as  RSBSA.

As we all know, the RSBSA is a nationwide undertaking to list all farmers, farm laborers and fishermen and gather basic information about them, their household, farm and farming and/or fishing activities. With NSO as the statistical arm of the government and at the helm of this statistical undertaking, and with the combined efforts of the major agencies, specifically the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, the establishment of the envisioned database is certainly possible. With our concerted efforts, we can provide government planners and policy makers bases for effective formulation of significant policies and programs for agricultural development. With our teamwork, the digitization of information of the database registry of farmers, farm laborers and fishers, our government can pursue its effort in promoting  transparency, accountability, participatory governance and strengthening of public relations.

Let us not forget the Chinese proverb which states that “behind an able man there are always other able men.” As stressed by Maxwell, “The truth is that teamwork is at the heart of great achievement. “

After all we owe those who are feeding all of us the genuine effort to assist them. 

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Reviewing NorMin's Agriculture Statistics

THERE is one statement which provokes one to ponder , and perhaps argue with one's inner self . I am referring to this line "Agriculture not only gives riches to a nation, but the only riches she can call her own."Definitely it is highly philosophical, but it is akin to another quotation which says : “Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bands."

If we were to reflect the Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP)  for 2011-2016 it states that “Agriculture is the bedrock of the rural economy. Agriculture is the major source of raw resources on which the rest of the economy depends. It accounts for 20 percent of the grossnational product, or one-fifth of the economy, while one-third of the population is employed inagriculture or agriculture-related industries."

However, there are several italicized lines from the MTDP which deserve one's contemplations such as the following statements describing our harvests: ... not enough to ensure long-term sustainability... not enough to improve overall rural welfare ...apparent lack of strategic focus of programs and projects.

However, contemplating is certainly not enough. We need statistics to support our plan. For instance, if we were to look at the population count as of the last census 2010, statistics will tell us that in Region 10 alone, we have a total population of 4,297,323 with a growth rate of 2.06. Translating this to mouths to be fed, we have to determine how many sacks of rice will be needed. This will bring us to this fact: "On the average, per person will consume two sacks of rice in one year.”

This is the reason why the Census on Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) is deemed vital, for it will give us the information on how many farmers do we actually have in the Philippines, what is the size of their farm, do they own or rent the land, what crop or livestock or fishery product do they have and so on.We need data for agricultural and fisheries development in making meaningful decisions in the utilization of related resources, as basis for making production projections, as well as in measuring the progress in agriculture and fisheries.

Recalling the latest results of the CAF 2002, the number of farms in NorMin increased by 10.3 percent from 289.5 thousands in 1991 to 319.157 thousands in 2002.This is attributed to the large increase number of farms in Misamis Oriental. However  the total area of farms in the region decreased by 2.8 percent during the period mentioned. Moreover, the average size of farms decreased from 2.7 hectares per farm in 1991 to 2.3 hectares per farm in 2002. Agricultural Iand comprised 52.2 percent of the region's total land area.

Corn, which was grown in 175.6 thousand  farms with a total of 371.8 thousand hectares, was the major temporary crop in NorMin 2002. However, the area devoted to corn had decreased by 18.1per cent, that is, from 453.7 thousand hectares in 1991. The next major temporary crop was palay covering 103.3 thousand hectares in 52.5 thousand farms. In terms of number of trees /vines/hills, pineapple was the most important permanent crop in the region with 30.8 million hills as reported by 7.3 thousand farms. Pineapple was dominantly planted in Bukidnon due to the presence of Del Monte Pineapple Plantation. For other provinces, the top permanent crop planted  varies. Coconut was abundantly planted in Lanao Del Norte and Misamis Occidental while banana in Camiguin and Misamis Oriental.  

Nevertheless, we have to remember that Mother Earth is not the same Mother Earth that we used to have. Because of man’s abusive acts, Mother Earth is no longer that kind that kind that “you can just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest.” The impact of climate change on agriculture could result in problems with food security and may threaten livelihood activities upon which much of the population depends. There is so much to be done, if we were to be serious in addressing our plan to make each and every  Filipino profitability productive. Thus, it is our hope that the statistics we bring to the nation planners after the CAF will not only improve our agriculture economy , but will also help in the cultivation and perfection of the human race. 

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The Portrait of NorMin’s Child Labor

THE paradoxical statement from William Wordsworth's Imitation of Immortality from Recollection of Early Childhood which states that " The Child is the Father of the Man" can never be underestimated; however, it can never be ignored that children are children. Their hands are not as strong as their parents' hands. Their eyes have not yet seen the world as their parents have had. Their feelings are tender and they need every chance to grow, to develop and become individuals who can be accountable for their actions. Thus, the much quoted Iines from Chile’s Nobel Prize winning poet, Gabriela Minstral, The child cannot wait... to him we cannot answer Tomorrow; his name is Today" credit more serious attention.

What then is the children situationer in the Philippines?

Child labor is one of the many disturbing problems in the Philippines whose incidence has increased by almost 30 percent from 4.2 million in 2001 to 5.5 million last year as revealed in the 2011 Survey on Children of the National Statistics Office (NSO). "Child labor” in this survey refers to the working children who reported to have worked in hazardous environment regardless of the number of hours they spent at work (Hazardous Child Labor), or those who have worked for long hours (more than 20 hours a week for children 5 to l4 years old and more than 40 hours a week  for children 15 to l7 years old) or "Other Child Labor. The rest of the working children are classified under "Not Child Labor” category.

Out of the 5.492 million working children, 58.4 percent or an estimated 3.210 million were considered as in child labor, while 41.6 percent or an estimated 2.283 million were considered not in child labor. Comparing between boys and girls statistics show that in every ten working children, six were boys while four were girls. Causing alarm to our nation planners are the findings that as young as 5 years old, statistics show an 8.2 percent of working children who belonged to the 5 to 9 years of age category, while 46.7 percent of the working children were 15 to 17 years old and 45.1 percent were 10 to 14 years old. More alarming are those identified working in hazardous work environment which registered 39.9 percent for those exposed to physical environment, 19.1 for those exposed to chemical and physical hazards and 13.7 percent for those exposed to combined chemicals, physical and biological hazards.

While it is every child’s right to obtain formal education, it is sad to note that for all age groups, there is still 29.9 percent reported not attending school, and out of the three age groups (5-9, 10-14, 15-17), 47.3 percent among those belonging to 15-17 years old were not attending school. Between the two sexes, there were more boys than girls among the children in hazardous labor who were attending school.

The root cause that triggered children to work is poverty. Those who were reported helping in own household-operated farm or business posted  42.2 percent while 30.0 percent were reported supplementing family income or working for family well-being.

What is the portrait of NorMin’s Child labor?

The 2011 Survey on Children (SOC) reveals an alarming statistics which show that in every ten children aged 5-17 years in Northern Mindanao (29.6%) were working. In the National Capital Region and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the ratio was only one in every ten children.

The implications show that poverty is the biggest push that has made children worked and to start working as soon as they can manage to handle work which is hazardous to their health and to their well-being. This calls for interventions to give the children the opportunity for education and of appropriate social, cultural, physical and psychosocial development.

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The Portrait of NorMin’s Child Labor

THE paradoxical statement from William Wordsworth's Imitation of Immortality from Recollection of Early Childhood which states that " The Child is the Father of the Man" can never be underestimated; however, it can never be ignored that children are children. Their hands are not as strong as their parents' hands. Their eyes have not yet seen the world as their parents have had. Their feelings are tender and they need every chance to grow, to develop and become individuals who can be accountable for their actions. Thus, the much quoted Iines from Chile’s Nobel Prize winning poet, Gabriela Minstral, The child cannot wait... to him we cannot answer Tomorrow; his name is Today" credit more serious attention.

What then is the children situationer in the Philippines?

Child labor is one of the many disturbing problems in the Philippines whose incidence has increased by almost 30 percent from 4.2 million in 2001 to 5.5 million last year as revealed in the 2011 Survey on Children of the National Statistics Office (NSO). "Child labor” in this survey refers to the working children who reported to have worked in hazardous environment regardless of the number of hours they spent at work (Hazardous Child Labor), or those who have worked for long hours (more than 20 hours a week for children 5 to l4 years old and more than 40 hours a week  for children 15 to l7 years old) or "Other Child Labor. The rest of the working children are classified under "Not Child Labor” category.

Out of the 5.492 million working children, 58.4 percent or an estimated 3.210 million were considered as in child labor, while 41.6 percent or an estimated 2.283 million were considered not in child labor. Comparing between boys and girls statistics show that in every ten working children, six were boys while four were girls. Causing alarm to our nation planners are the findings that as young as 5 years old, statistics show an 8.2 percent of working children who belonged to the 5 to 9 years of age category, while 46.7 percent of the working children were 15 to 17 years old and 45.1 percent were 10 to 14 years old. More alarming are those identified working in hazardous work environment which registered 39.9 percent for those exposed to physical environment, 19.1 for those exposed to chemical and physical hazards and 13.7 percent for those exposed to combined chemicals, physical and biological hazards.

While it is every child’s right to obtain formal education, it is sad to note that for all age groups, there is still 29.9 percent reported not attending school, and out of the three age groups (5-9, 10-14, 15-17), 47.3 percent among those belonging to 15-17 years old were not attending school. Between the two sexes, there were more boys than girls among the children in hazardous labor who were attending school.

The root cause that triggered children to work is poverty. Those who were reported helping in own household-operated farm or business posted  42.2 percent while 30.0 percent were reported supplementing family income or working for family well-being.

What is the portrait of NorMin’s Child labor?

The 2011 Survey on Children (SOC) reveals an alarming statistics which show that in every ten children aged 5-17 years in Northern Mindanao (29.6%) were working. In the National Capital Region and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the ratio was only one in every ten children.

The implications show that poverty is the biggest push that has made children worked and to start working as soon as they can manage to handle work which is hazardous to their health and to their well-being. This calls for interventions to give the children the opportunity for education and of appropriate social, cultural, physical and psychosocial development.

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Normin’s silent heroes

The month of July witnessed several events of significant contributions to the development of the nation, such as the Blood Donor’s Month which was focused  on the theme “Be A Hero, Give Blood” and the Nutrition Month which revolved the theme “Pagkain ng Gulay Ugaliin, Araw-araw Itong Ihain.”

Such celebrations proved the relevance of the saying “Homo homini Deus est.” This supreme practical maxim fits very well the purpose driven life, because the purpose of life is not primarily “to be happy - -but to matter, to be productive to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.” And this, indeed, defines the lives of our blood donors who unselfishly donate blood so that others may have another chance to live.

Statistically speaking, “Five to ten minutes of your time plus 350 ml. of your blood equals one life save.” And this equation could be supported by some statistical data which would tell us that in this time of the year last year some 9,352 bags or units of blood had been served to 6,076 patients in Misamis Oriental. These blood donors are NorMin’s silent heroes, and to them we give our salute and respect.

On the other hand, our mothers who have endlessly labored “carrying the babies inside their wombs for nine months, in their arms for three years, and in their hearts until the day they die,” are also silent heroes who deserve the right to the information, care and support to protect their health and wellbeing before, during and after pregnancy, as well as that of their newborn babies well into childhood.

While we acknowledge the nutritional value of vegetables to one’s health, we should not forget the value of breastfeeding. It may be recalled that last year’s Nutrition Month centered on the theme “Isulong ang Breastfeeding Tsek-Tama, Sapat, Eklsusibo.”

The aim was a very noble one, because it encouraged correct breastfeeding practices nationwide. It taught mothers the significance of skin-to-skin contact of mother and baby immediately after birth and breastfeeding within the first hour of life.

It sought to encourage mothers that a small amount of breast milk is sufficient for baby during the first week, and that with frequent feeding the supply will eventually increase.

More important was the aspect on exclusive feeding which means giving only breast milk to baby during the first six months. However, the finding of the 2011 Family Health Survey reveals that only 27 percent of all mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding in the Philippines.

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.

Statistics show that for exclusive breastfeeding, CAR tops in the entire Philippines with 49.2 percent, followed by Region 2 with 40.8 percent.

Region 10 has only 25.2 percent, while Region 4A registered the lowest with only 18.8 percent. These figures reflect an imperative need for a stronger advocacy to inform the mothers the importance of breastfeeding and to make them understand that a baby who is being breastfed is most likely “to avoid the risk of malnutrition, infection and early grave.”

It is worth mentioning that a research on breastfeeding duration and academic achievement at 10 years which used a cohort of 2900 women who were enrolled at 18 weeks’ gestation with 2868 live-born children showed that ten-year-old children who were predominantly breastfed for 6 months or longer in infancy had higher academic scores than children who were breastfed for less than 6 months (Oddy et al, 2010)

These are but few statistics, but the reverberation of their echoing implications speak louder than words can convey.

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THE DREAM, THE CHALLENGE, THE PROMISING DEVELOPMENT

THE President's 3rd SONA has brought joy and hope to the Filipino people especially when the President delivered these inspiring lines. "But what we know about our people, and what we had proven time and again to the world was this: Nothing is impossible to a united Filipino nation. It was change we dreamed of, and change we achieved; the benefits of change are now par for the course."

Indeed, we are glad to know the very promising transformation from being the "sick man of Asia to one who now beams with vitality with a growing GDP by 6.4 percent which is said to be much higher than projected. It was a great relief to hear comments that "Once, we were the debtors; now, we are the creditors.”

How will this apply to Northern Mindanao?

Checking the revenue performance statistics of Northern Mindanao during the first quarter of 2012, NEDA-10 reported P1.43 billion tax collections and P 1.36 billion customs collections, which are higher by 26 and 1 8 percent, respectively as compared with the same period last year.

However, behind the rosy portrait, the SONA presented a bleak picture which needs to be arrested. To borrow  the words of the President, "Challenges remain. The high maternal mortality ratio in our country continues to alarm us."

This is about the increasing maternal deaths from 162 to 221 per 100,000 live births from 2006-2010 as revealed during the launch of the National Statistics  Office 2011 Family Helath Survey last June 19, 2012.

According to the keynote speech of Health Secretary Enrique Ona: The cruelest irony is that women are dying  as they are giving life .” Such statement is loaded and its implications remind us of the vulnerabilities that confront our women population .

Putting the statistics simply would give us a picture of estimated 11 faceless women dying each day from highly preventable complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth.

This would of course lead us to a blatant contrast which shows that today more Filipino women  die in childbirth than in the early 1990’s.

Sec. Ona in his speech stressed that “we need real time health statistics that can guide us in making crucial decisions as we reform our healthcare system.” And true enough, these statistics have generated promising development.

The SONA unveiled some facts that based on data from DSWD: 1,672,977 mothers now get regular checkups; 1,672,814 children have been vaccinated against diarrhea, polio, measles, and various other diseases.

With this promising development, there is no doubt that we can reverse the trend and give each and every mother the promise of a healthy life.

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Pill remains the top choice of contraception in Normin

Pill remains the top choice of contraception in Normin
             
            Population problems have been man’s concern since ancient time. Matters concerning the need to stimulate or retard population growth had received various opinions from statesmen and thinkers whose concerns ranged from political to social and economic considerations until modern population theory emerged in the current time. Thus, some economists had said that the use of contraceptives in modern times had made it possible to check population growth effectively making the ‘preventive checks’ and ‘positive checks’ introduced by Malthus irrelevant and obsolete.

            Speaking of contraceptives, the results of the 2011 Family Health Survey (FHS) conducted by the National Statistics Office revealed a decrease of the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) for married women in the Philippines from 50.7 percent in 2008 to 48.9 in 2011. Contraceptive prevalence rate is the proportion of women of reproductive age who are using (or whose partner is using) a contraceptive method at a given point in time. It is an indicator of health, population, development and women’s empowerment. It also serves as a proxy measure of access to reproductive health services that are essential for meeting many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)s, especially the child mortality, maternal health, and gender related goals.

            The survey indicated that while use of any method decreased by 1.8 percentage points, use of modern method increased by 2.9 percentage points, that is, from 34 percent in 2008 to 36.9 percent in 2011. Traditional method, on the other hand, decreased significantly from 16.7 percent to 12 percent or a drop of 4.7 percentage points.

            Among the modern methods, pill registered the most common method with 19.8 percent displaying an increase of 4.1 percentage points over the results of the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) of 15.7 percent. The pill remains the most preferred method of contraception for both poor and non-poor women. It is used by 18.7 percent of poor women and 20.3 percent of non-poor women. Female sterilization follows with 8.6 percent. On the contrary, among the traditional method, withdrawal ranks first with 8.2 percent and rhythm or periodic abstinence comes second with only 3.7 percent.

            According to NSO Administrator Carmelita N. Ericta, the result of the 2011 FHS shows a significant shift in sources of pills from the public sector to the private sector. The public sector provided most recent supply of pills to on 32.0 percent of poor women in 2011 compared to 55.4 percent in 2006, as revealed by the Family Planning Survey conducted in that year. In contrast, the private sector provided supply of pills to 64.0 percent of poor women in 2011 compared to 63.8 percent in 2006.

Does Northern Mindanao follow the same trend?

Apparently, pill remains the top choice of contraception in Northern Mindanao with 22.3 percent and is even higher that the national figure. The results even showed an increase of 3.9 percentage points from 18.4 percent in 2008 NDHS. Pill might be very popular as a contraceptive method because of its availability and affordable price. Although male condom is also cheap and readily available in pharmacies, it still registered a low percentage of only 1.9 percent. In Northern Mindanao, the CPR posted at 53.9 percent in 2011 indicating an increase of 0.7 percentage points from 53.2 percent in 2008.

            On the contrary, currently married women in Northern Mindanao who were not using contraception registered at 46.1 percent. Among these non users, 56.4 percent cited that the main reason for non use was fertility – related and some 24.9 percent of women were opposed to family planning or prohibited by their religion while 14.1 percent reported lack of knowledge anent contraceptive methods. Moreover, one out of five women (19.2 percent) in Northern Mindanao was not using any contraceptive method because of wanting to have children.

            Such statistics speak of the trend in Northern Mindanao, and this shows that population growth rate cannot be viewed in isolation, because there are many relevant factors to consider.

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