Tacloban: The Philippine Statistics Authority-Eastern Visayas (PSA-8) has urged local government units (LGUs) to implement the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) to track the region’s progress in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to Philippines News Agency, PSA-8 chief statistical specialist Mae Almonte emphasized that CBMS is an effective tool for evaluating which SDGs have been achieved in the region. Almonte stated, “With CBMS, we can assess if we are on track of attaining the target and what areas we are regressing in. We did not have accurate data in the past since there was no CBMS.”

The SDGs, adopted in 2015 by United Nations members, including the Philippines, comprise a universal set of 17 goals, 169 targets, and 232 unique indicators designed to guide national agendas and policies over a 15-year period. These goals aim to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice.

In observance of National Statistics Month in October, PSA plans to underscore the importance of data in evaluating the country’s progress toward SDG targets. The event will be themed ‘Accelerating the SDG Pace of Progress: Mobilizing Data for All.’

CBMS, a technology-driven system for gathering, processing, and verifying data, is crucial for government planning and program implementation. Almonte noted that the CBMS rollout in Eastern Visayas began in 2022, and all LGUs in the region are now utilizing the system.

Data collected through CBMS household surveys include questions about household status to identify suitable beneficiaries for social protection programs. Mandated by Republic Act 11315, the system involves local-level data collection, forming the foundation for targeting households in planning, budgeting, and implementing government initiatives aimed at poverty alleviation and economic development.