Guimaras: The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has successfully completed the 2024 Census of Population and Housing (CPH) and Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) operations across all 98 barangays in Guimaras, achieving both data collection and processing milestones. This significant achievement marks a crucial advancement toward establishing a more data-informed and responsive local governance framework, as noted by provincial statistics officer Nelida Losare in a statement.

According to Philippines News Agency, the initiative, which launched in July 2023, encompassed a wide range of activities including barangay profiling, mapping of service facilities and government projects, data collection from households and institutional quarters, data and map processing, and geotagging. The PSA also conducted extensive post-evaluation and data validation procedures to ensure the reliability and consistency of the gathered information. Losare emphasized the importance of validation in the process, underscoring the PSA's commitment to providing accurate reflections of the actual situations in each barangay.

A municipal-level review and the official transfer of the consolidated dataset to the Guimaras provincial government are scheduled for July. This event will see local officials confirming their respective data in collaboration with PSA Guimaras. During this occasion, the provincial government will verify and confirm their datasets in coordination with PSA Guimaras, preparing a complete and accurate statistical package ready for evidence-based local development planning.

Losare highlighted the significance of these validated datasets, stating that they will play an essential role in shaping national statistics, informing policies, guiding programs, and determining development priorities. She emphasized that this initiative is more than just a data collection effort; it is a foundational step toward smarter governance and an improved quality of life for every resident of Guimaras.