B. Region 2

The PSA Region 2, Tuguegarao Chapter was based at the National Statistics Office Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Officer for the Year 2009

Chairman:                                          Dr. Lina Garan (CSU)
Vice Chairman:                       Dr. Pyrene Quilang (SLU)
Secretary:                                 Dr. Jocelyn Tuscano (CSU)
Treasurer:                                           Ms. Marlyn Cruz (PCCI)
Auditor:                                                 Dr. Hilaria Barsabal (SPU)
Membership Committee:        Ms. Jane Cabauatan (NSO)
                                                                     Director Marlyn Estrada (BAS)
                                                                     Ms. Gina Catral (NEDA)
Election Committee:                  Dr. Veronica Agatep (PCCI)
                                                                    Dr. Nieves Reyes (CSU)
                                                                    Ms. Nesie Jerusalem (MCNP)

Keynote Address in PSA Region 2 Chapter

A pleasant good morning to each and every one of you in this conference room.

We, in the leadership of the Philippine Statistical Association, is very pleased that PSA Region 2 Chapter is “re-born”. This has been made possible with the initiative of NEDA Regional Office 2 in Tuguegarao and the positive response of the individuals from government entities and the private sector, especially the enthusiastic participation of faculty members from the Cagayan State University, led by Dr. Lina Garan.

I am very confident that the present set of officers of PSA Region 2 Chapter with will be able to pursue and carry out the vision of the Association “to be a nationally and globally recognized society of statisticians and allied professionals committed to advancing the statistics profession and to promoting sound statistical science for the welfare of all Filipinos and the entire humanity.” This can be carried out with the active participation of each and every member of PSA Region 2 Chapter. I have great hope that many of you who are present here would be inspired to become members of this Chapter and be counted to pursue the vision of PSA.

Please note that the PSA is an Association of statisticians and allied professionals united and committed, among others, “to foster statistics and its application in the broadest manner”.

Consistent with its vision, the Philippine Statistical Association has approved its Code of Ethics. The Institutional Development Committee, ably chaired by the PSA Vice President Tomas Africa, was mainly responsible for coming up with this Code. This was developed with wide participation from members and non-members of PSA, from students, from practitioners and users of statistics.

The PSA Code of Ethics “puts in writing an agreed set of globally accepted professional standards that should be followed by statisticians in the country.”

The Guiding Principles in this Code state that,
“Statistical practitioners should pay responsible attention to the following in the conduct of their professional activities:

     The social value of their work and its consequences on, among others, respect for the life, liberty, dignity, and property of other people.

     The use of statistical work in the pursuit of the truth at all instances and not toward justifying predetermined outcomes.

     The acceptance that while statistics has a body of established knowledge, it also has many unresolved issues that requires frank and open discussion.

     The constant upgrading of competence in their work.

     Adherence to all applicable and ethically appropriate laws and regulations, as well as international covenantsManagement of freely-provided information into data archives consistent with responsible protection of the safety and confidentiality of human beings and organizations involved. [Note this was adopted from the Ethical Guidelines of American Statistical Association]

Allow me to share this “secret” with you. It has been an aspiration of the Philippine Statistical Association (PSA) to institute a system of accreditation or certification for statistics professionals. One that is at par or similar to those existing in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

“The accreditation stage will deal with what would be the qualifications: education, work experience, research record as well as the behavior or ethical standards of the statistics practitioner.” The PSA Code of Ethics addresses the latter, the behavior or ethical standards of the statistics practitioner.

But this training which starts today contributes towards providing the “necessary academic background”.

At this point, I wish to congratulate the PSA Region 2 Chapter. Within one year from the election of the Chapter officers, this Chapter has organized this Teachers’ Training. I would be remiss if I do not acknowledge the assistance of Statistical Research and Training Center, the willingness to walk the extra miles for this training of Ms. Chona Guatlo and the graciousness of Dr. Jose Ramon Albert to serve as resource person. Ms. Guatlo is the Chairperson of the Training Committee of PSA and the Chief of the Training Division of SRTC. Dr. Albert, fondly called Toots, is well known here in the Philippines and internationally. I would like to add here that PSA takes pride in saying that Dr. Albert was a former PSA President.

Let me continue to talk more the practice of statistics and statisticians. “Statistician‟ may have been misused and misappropriated by unscrupulous professionals. For example in some graduate schools, “theses and dissertation students fall prey to unqualified professionals giving advice, often inaccurate, on statistical methodology and analysis.”

The PSA is working to address this unscrupulous practice. The PSA shall develop materials and conduct trainings along this line.

The PSA has other programs and activities that would “work for the improvement of statistical literacy and education at all levels”. The PSA is a member of the Philippine Social Science Council. The PSSC provides research grants to deserving students. I shall communicate more details on this to Dr. Lina Garan.

Today we are in the midst of a bright beginning.

This formal induction of the officers of PSA Region 2 and the formal recognition of the entire membership of PSA Region 2 Chapter, and the conduct of this Teachers’ Training for you are part and parcel of this bright beginning. You are witnesses to the bright beginning of ethical practice of statistics in Region 2. Let it not be said that you shall remain contented as witnesses, but you shall be counted among those witnessing for “advancing the statistics profession and to promoting sound statistical science for the welfare of all Filipinos and the entire humanity”.

Let me repeat. Today you are witnesses for this bright beginning for statistics in Region 2.
Congratulations and good day.

*Delivered on December 1, 2009