Manila, Oct. 6 -- The annual celebration of the National Statistics Month (NSM) provides a venue to advocate and promote the importance of data gathering and the utilization of statistics in decision-making, officials said Monday.

"We share the same goal in fostering public awareness and cooperation for a more reliable and responsive national statistical system," she Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Regional Director for Western Visayas Nelida Amolar in a press conference to usher in the start of the 36th NSM celebration this October.

Regional Director Arecio Casing Jr. of the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) in Western Visayas said they anchor their plan on evidence-based data, with PSA as one of their sour...