OPENING REMARKS OF DIRECTOR RAFAEL G. EVANGELISTA, JR, CHAIRMAN OF THE REGIONAL STATISTICAL COORDINATING COUNCIL (RSCC) DURING THE 11TH NATIONAL STATISTICS MONTH (NSM),
ZSCMST,
02
OCTOBER 2000
OUR ESTEEMED GUEST OF HONOR, COUNCILOR
ISABELE C. CLIMACO; DIRECTOR ROOSEVELT A. ITUM, AL HAJ, MY RSCC CO-CHAIR; MS.
MEWCHUN W.S. PAMARAN, RSCC IX SECRETARY AND REGIONAL HEAD OF NSCB IX; DR.
EDGARDO M. SANTOS, PRESIDENT OF THE ZSCMST, OUR HOST FOR THIS MORNING’S
OPENING CEREMONIES; OUR GUEST SPEAKERS, MY STAFF FROM NEDA, MR. FERNANDO R.
CAMBA; AND MS. ZENY B. BENITEZ OF THE DENR IX; REGIONAL DIRECTORS AND HEADS OF
GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE INSITUTIONS AND THEIR STAFF; THE FACULTY AND STUDENTS OF
VARIOUS SCHOOLS; THE VERY TALENTED DA AGRICULTURANG MAKAMASA CHORALE GROUP;
COLLEAGUES; FRIENDS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN A PLEASANT GOOD MORNING TO EACH AND
EVERY ONE. BUENAS DIAS AND WELCOME TO OUR ANNUAL NATIONAL STATISTICS MONTH
(NSM) CELEBRATION. THIS IS
THE 10TH YEAR THAT WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR THE NSM AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU FOR
YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND COOPERATION AS WE PROMOTE AWARENESS AND APPRECIAITON
OF THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF STATISTICS.
THE CELEBRATION OF THE NSM IS PURSUANT TO PRESIDENTIAL
PROCLAMATION NUMBER 647 ISSUED BY THEN PRESIDENT CORAZON COJUANCO-AQUINO LAST
SEPTEMBER 1990 DECLARING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER OF EVERY YEAR AS THE NSM.
THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR IS: “ EMPOWERING FILIPINO
WOMEN THROUGH GENDER STATISITCS”.
IN
KEEPING WITH THIS YEAR’S THEME, WE HAVE INVITED GENDER ADVOCATES TO BE OUR
SPEAKERS FOR THE LECTURETTES ON GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS. WE ARE ALSO
LUCKY TO HAVE WITH US A GENDER ADVOCATE IN HER OWN RIGHT AND THE LONE FEMALE
CITY COUNCILOR OF ZAMBOANGA WHO HAS GRACIOUSLY CONSENTED TO BE OUR GUESTS OF
HONOR.
TO BALANCE OFF OUR OPENING PROGRAM WE
HAVE SOME ENTERTAINMENT NUMBERS FROM THE DA AGRIKULTURANG MAKAMASA CHORALE AND A
SKIT ON “RIO MI AMORE” BY THE DENR DALAW TURO TEAM.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN
THE OTHER ACTIVITIES LINED UP FOR THIS MONTH. TODAY’S ACTIVITY STARTS THE
MILESTONE ON STATISTICS AWARENESS, I UNDERSCORE ONCE AGAIN THE VALUE OF TIMELY
AND ACCURATE STATISITCS AS AN INDISPENSABLE TOOL IN DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND
POLICY-MAKING. STATISTICS TELL US
IN A VERY OBJECTIVE MANNER, AMONG OTHERS, WHERE WE ARE, THE RATE AT WHICH WE ARE
PROCEEDING, AND WHETHER, IF AT ALL WE HAVE ACHIEVED OUR TARGETS ALONG A
DEVELOPMENT PATH.
THE CELEBRATION OF THE NSM IS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE
THE VIGOUROUS EFFORTS OF THE GOVERNMENT STATISTICAL AGENCIES TO UPGRADE THEIR
SERVICES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE US WITH HIGH QUALITY STATISTICS THAT WILL SERVE AS
SOUND BASES FOR OUR PLANS AND PROGRAMS. HOWEVER,
AS A CAUTION, SUCH ENTHUSIASM MUST NOT ONLY BE LIMITED TO OUR MONTH-LONG
CELEBRATION BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES AND THROUGHOUT THE
YEAR.
ONCE AGAIN, IN BEHALF OF THE RSCC IX I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THIS
MORNING’S PROGRAM AND AT THE SAME TIME EXPRESS MY HEARTHFELT APPRECIATION FOR
YOUR UNTIRING SUPPORT AND COOPERAITON. MUCHISIMAS
GRACIAS Y BUENAS DIAS.