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 DisseminationStandards Bulletin Board Reviews of the Fund's Data Standards' Initiatives (Reviews) Special Data Dissemination Standard Site (SDDS) Introduction Metadata Data What's New Contact Us General Data Dissemination System Site (GDDS) Data Quality Reference Site (DQRS) |
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| The Data: Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness | ||||||||||||
| Coverage characteristics | 5.1.1 Statistical presentation Data are disseminated on the CPI index (2000=100), which is computed using the weighted arithmetic mean of price relatives, a variant of the Laspeyres formula with fixed base year period weights. The index covers between 286 and 753 items, the number varying by province. The survey covers about 9,500 outlets nationwide with about 417,845 price quotations obtained monthly. The criteria for selecting sample outlets are: popularity of an establishment in terms of the line of goods to be priced; consistency and completeness of stock; permanency of outlet; and accessibility of the outlet. Prices are collected through personal interviews from selected stalls in public markets, sari-sari stores, supermarkets and service shops all over the country. In the National Capital Region, four price quotations are collected from each sample market for each of the commodity. Price collection for food is carried in 13 markets. For the non-food commodities, 13 markets are surveyed and the price collection is carried out on the first five days of the month and during the middle of each month. For the provinces, two price quotations are collected in the provincial capital, while four other price quotations are collected from the municipalities outside the capital during the first five days of the month. However, only two price quotations are collected from the provincial capital during the middle of each month. For selected cities, six price quotations are collected in each market during the first five days of the month and during the middle of each month. The arithmetic average of these price quotations is used in the computation of the index. The weights for the index are derived from the 2000 FIES data. There is no fixed interval for rebasing the index - so far, the CPI has used 1966, 1972, 1978, 1988, 1994 and 2000 as its base years. Rebasing also depends on the availability of the FIES data, used as the index weights. Official data with 2000 as the base year was released in February 2004. A seasonally adjusted series is simultaneously released together with the original series. | |||||||||||
| Periodicity | 4.1.1 Periodicity Monthly | |||||||||||
| Timeliness | 4.1.2 Timeliness Five days after the reference month. | |||||||||||
| Access by the Public | ||||||||||||
| Advance dissemination of release calendar | 5.1.3 Advance release calendar "An advance release calendar that gives one-year ahead notice of the precise release dates is posted on the NSO website (www.census.gov.ph ) and announced through a press release of the NSO." | |||||||||||
| Simultaneous release to all interested parties | 5.1.4 Simultaneous release The CPI data are released simultaneously to all interested parties by issuing the report "Consumer Price Index for the "MM, YY" and the accompanying press release at 9:00 a.m. Thirty minutes later, the CPI data are posted in the NSO website (www.census.gov.ph), (Phone: 63 2 7160807 Fax: 63 2 7160734) and from the Economic Indices and Indicators Division. Copies are faxed simultaneously to wire agencies, government agencies, newspaper offices, and news rooms of radio and television stations. Copies may also be obtained by request from the Office of the Administrator, NSO (Phone: 632 7160807. Fax: 632 7160734) and from the Economic Indices and Indicators Division, (EIID) NSO. (Phone: 63 2 7153347. Fax: 63 2 7163935), address 4th Flr. Solicarel Bldg. 2, | |||||||||||
| Integrity | ||||||||||||
| Dissemination of terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including those relating to the confidentiality of individually identifiable information | 0.1.1 Responsibility for collecting, processing, and disseminating statistics National Statistical Office The National Statistics Office (NSO) is given the major responsibility for collecting, compiling, classifying, producing, publishing, and disseminating general-purpose statistics, including a large set of socioeconomic indicators as provided for in Commonwealth Act No. 591 (August 19, 1940). Additionally, NSO is given the responsibility of maintaining the civil registry of the Philippines. The compilation and dissemination of the data are governed by the terms and conditions of the Commonwealth Act No. 591 (CA No. 591), Presidential Decree No. 418 (March 20, 1974), Executive Order No. 121 (January 30, 1987), and Executive Order No. 352 (July 1, 1996). A breakdown of these legal mandates follows: CA No. 591, which also created the NSO (then known as the Bureau of Census and Statistics), authorizes it to prepare for and undertake all censuses of population, agriculture, industry, and commerce. Presidential Decree No. 418 reconstituted the Bureau of Census and Statistics as a new agency, the National Census and Statistics Office (NCSO), under the administrative supervision of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA). Executive Order No. 121 renamed the NCSO to NSO and reinforced its responsibility for generating general purpose statistics and undertaking such censuses and surveys as may be designated by the NSCB. The NSCB shall promulgate and implement the rules and regulations concerning designated statistics. Further, section 18 states that agencies conducting statistical inquiries be responsible for ensuring the timely release of the results thereof to the general public. Price index: Consumer prices The responsibilities and coordination for the consumer price index (CPI) are clearly defined within the Philippines Statistical System (PSS). At the highest level is the policy-making and coordinating agency, National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), which formulates policies and sets priorities and standards on statistics. The present system, as defined in Executive Order No. 121 (October 1, 1987), consists of the statistical organizations at all administrative levels, the personnel therein and the national statistical program (NSP). The National Statistics Office (NSO) is given the major responsibility in collecting, compiling, classifying, producing, publishing, and disseminating general-purpose statistics as provided for in Commonwealth Act No. 591 (August 19, 1940). These include a large set of socio-economic indicators apart from price statistics assessed here. Additionally, NSO is given the responsibility to maintain the civil registry of the The compilation and dissemination of the data are governed by the terms and conditions of the Commonwealth Act No. 591 (CA No. 591), Presidential Decree No.418 (March 20, 1974), Executive Order No. 121 (January 30, 1987), and Executive Order No. 352 (July 1, 1996). These specify the NSO’s role in collecting, processing and disseminating the CPI. In particular, CA No. 591 created the National Statistics Office, then known as the Bureau of Census and Statistics, and authorizes it to prepare for and undertake all censuses of population, agriculture, industry and commerce. Further, the Presidential Decree No. 418 reconstituted the Bureau of Census and Statistics as new agency to be known as the National Census and Statistics Office (NCSO), under the administrative supervision of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA). Executive Order No. 121 renamed the NCSO to NSO, and re-enforced the agency’s role as the major statistical agency responsible for generating general purpose statistics and undertaking such censuses and surveys as may be designated by the NSCB. In section 16 it sates that the designated statistics (as the CPI) should be collected, compiled, processed and disseminated by agencies in accordance with the statistical calendar approved by the NSCB. The NSCB shall promulgate and implement the rules and regulations concerning designated statistics. Further, section 18 states that agencies conducting statistical inquiries be responsible for ensuring the timely release of the results thereof to the general public. Finally, Executive Order No. 352 (EO 352) listed the Survey of Retail Prices of Commodities for the Consumer Price Index (the source of the data on consumer price index) as one of the Philippine Statistical System (PSS) designated statistical activities. This order lists the designated activity/statistics, the implementing agencies, and the frequency of data collection, geographic disaggregation and schedule of data dissemination. Section 2 requires the dissemination of the data from the designated statistical activities to the general public, and section 4 states that any modification, addition or deletion from the list needs the approval of the NSCB. 0.1.2 Data sharing and coordination among data producing agencies National Statistical Office Coordination among statistical agencies is provided by the NSCB. It also “allocate statistical responsibilities among government agencies.” NSCB technical committees, in which the NSO management participates, facilitate data sharing among agencies. Moreover, the Philippine Statistical Development Program (PSDP) pursues, among other things, “effective mechanisms, policies, measures and standards to address conflicts, gaps and constraints and promote synergy among local and with international institutions.”Price index: Consumer prices The Technical Committee on Price Statistics (TCPS) chaired by a person representing the member agency in the Committee is appointed by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). The TCPS coordinates and reviews the methodologies of NSO and Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS).The NSCB acts as the secretariat of the TCPS and the Technical Working Groups (TWG) on price statistics. The TWG is composed of various agencies created by NSCB as the need arises. Task Forces are also created to address problems related to price statistics. Collection of data for the CPI is done through the collective effort of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) and the NSO. BAS collects price data for agricultural commodities in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in provincial capitals where there are BAS offices while NSO collects prices for all the other commodities in all other areas. Data are provided free of charge to other government data producing agencies upon request. However, agencies have to pay the total cost of survey operations if they request for the conduct of special price surveys. 0.1.3 Confidentiality of individual reporters' data National Statistical Office Section 4 of CA No. 591 states that data furnished to NSO are to be kept strictly confidential and used for statistical purposes only (not as evidence in court for purposes of taxation, regulation, or investigation). Nor shall such data or information be divulged to any person except in the form of summaries or statistical tables in which no reference is made to an individual respondent (corporation, association, partnership, institution, or business enterprise). This provision is printed in survey questionnaires. The follow-up of this law is guaranteed by internal procedures. Access to the NSO offices is restricted to staff only, and all information on the NSO servers is password protected. The field offices are instructed to maintain appropriate levels of confidentiality in the storage of the collected individual price data. Price index: Consumer prices Section 4 of Commonwealth Act Number 591 states that data furnished to NSO will be kept strictly confidential and shall not be used as evidence in court for purposes of taxation, regulation or investigation; nor shall such data or information be divulged to any person except in the form of summaries or statistical tables in which no reference to an individual, corporation, association, partnership, institution or business enterprise shall appear. This provision is printed in the survey questionnaire. The implementation of this law is guaranteed by internal procedures. In particular, within the NSO surveys, there are aggregation rules that prevent the disclosure of individual data. These rules are followed by the staff. Lists of persons who may have access to sensitive data are maintained in the Administrator’s office. Access to the NSO offices are restricted to staff only and all information on the NSO servers are password protected. The field offices are instructed to maintain appropriate level of confidentiality in the storage of the collected individual price data. 0.1.4 Ensuring statistical reporting National Statistical Office The legal authority to collect the data is provided in CA No. 591. Section 3 sets disclosure penalties at 600 pesos or six months’ imprisonment, or both, but it has very rarely been enforced.Price index: Consumer prices The legal authority to collect the data is provided in CA No. 591. Section 3 sets disclosure penalties at 600 pesos or 6 months imprisonment, or both, but it has very rarely been enforced. Noncompliance has not been a problem for the price index programs and existing penalties of Section 3 for noncompliance have not been employed. Field offices maintain good relationships with the respondents. The NSO field staff are frequently in personal contact with the respondents and had established rapport with them. 0.2.1 Staff, facilities, computing resources, and financing A minimum of six (6) price collectors in every province collects prices for each survey period while one provincial staff does the consolidation of prices. For the National Capital Region, four (4) price collectors and one (1) statistician for each survey round are responsible for the collection and verification of the weekly prices for food, beverages and tobacco (FBT) items. Meanwhile, non-FBT items are gathered twice a month by a minimum of four (4) price collectors for each of the thirteen sample areas covered. There are about 18 personnel in the Central Office that do the final processing and computation of the CPI. There are about nine (9)) computers in the NSO Central Office used in the compilation of the statistical series. A system developed using dbase is used in the encoding, updating and computation of the provincial, regional and national indices. The window-based system will be operational before the year 2008 ends. One computer is dedicated for the consolidation of all the results during the peak periods of processing and tabulation. The Provincial Statistics Officers and the Central Office staff work within the approved budget for the collection and processing of the monthly statistical series. 0.2.2 Ensuring efficient use of resources The NSO promotes a vision and a direction that are shared with the staff. During trainings, a sort of data appreciation is given to the staff wherein the emphasis of the lecture is on the importance of the statistical series. Giving examples are also included in the discussion. The Consumer Price Index User’s Manual that discusses in detail the manual and machine processing of the CPI along with the solutions to the common problems are provided to all the price collectors and processors for their reference. Periodic reviews of working processes are undertaken to ensure that they are improved particularly during the rebasing of the CPI series. Periodic reviews of budgeting procedures are undertaken to ensure that scarce resources are best employed in addressing major data problems or meeting new data priorities. The NSO strives to make the best use of newly emerging opportunities, such as computing technology for data processing/dissemination, to effect resource savings. 0.3.1 Monitoring user requirements The TCPS and the NSCB chaired by Director General of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) do the assessment of the statistical series. A survey on the use and non-use of price indices is being done by the TCPS. NSO staff involved in generating price statistics attend price and price related meetings, seminars and workshops organized by international and regional organization to keep them informed of the recent trends in prices statistics.0.4.1 Quality policy The NSO’s mission statement advocates the provision of quality statistics. It is printed in publications and posted around the NSO offices. The management is strongly committed to focus on various elements of data quality. A recent Quarterly Regional Conference of Directors was conducted on data quality and current development plan and those in-progress puts forward and various quality improvement processes. As recognition for its commitment to the quality statistics, the NSO was the first government agency to receive the Philippine Quality Award in 1999.0.4.2 Quality monitoring In practice, the NSO has various validation stages from data collection and CPI compilation. Provincial price data collection is supervised by the provincial and regional office and problems encountered are brought to attention of the central office. The NSCB also implements the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS) which involves the process of evaluating the design and instruments of statistical surveys conducted by government agencies. For the NSO field offices, a Field Award System has been developed and implemented. It gives recognition on the overall quality of data submitted by the field office by evaluating the field offices on timeliness, quantity and quality of their data. Immediate verification of the reasonableness and reliability of prices of commodities and services in a given area for a given month is done by:
Checking of outliers is also included in the routine of the CPI processing system. 0.4.3 Quality planning There are forward plans that allocate budgetary resources to future statistical development based upon identified statistical needs for compiling the statistical series. The agency (public or private) requesting special data shares funding with NSO’s developmental activities. The NSO’s budget proposal is being presented to the Congress/Senate for approval. 1.1.1 Impartiality of statistics National Statistical Office Executive Order No. 121 clearly sets the ground for the independence of the statistical system. The NSO is guided by the principles of truth and professional integrity, and the management clearly promotes a culture of professionalism through training and coordination within the PSS.Price index: Consumer prices The EO 121 clearly sets ground for the independence of statistical system. The NSO is guided by the principles of truth and professional integrity, and the management clearly promotes culture of professionalism through training and by participation in the PSS and NSCB. Professionalism is seen as a cornerstone in the NSO. As elsewhere in government, each position has been evaluated with Qualification Standard set by the Civil Service Commission (CSC). The Human Resource Management Division operates a comprehensive six (6) months training program for new employees entering the statistician position. The staff is also encouraged to present papers on conferences, as well as in other occasions. October is designated as National Statistics Month, during which papers are presented and awareness in the use of statistics is emphasized. A Memorandum of Agreement was signed with the Institute for Development and Econometric Analysis (IDEA) to train selected NSO personnel in economics, statistics and other techniques needed for the generation of economic indicators. IDEA organizes lectures for NSO staff in return for research access to more detailed, but non-identifiable data. Project proposals are also submitted to funding agencies for funding research and methodological studies done at NSO. 1.1.2 Selection of sources, methodology, and modes of dissemination Choice of source data and techniques are based on statistical considerations only. See also section 1.1.1. The CPI is generated from survey data collected weekly, and twice a month through the Survey of Retail Prices of Commodities and Services. The Laspeyres method is used in computing the CPI. The CPI is made available to the public five (5) days after the reference month. It is posted at the NSO website (www.census.gov.ph) at 10:00 A.M. on the 5th day of each month. Copies of the national and regional tables and the accompanying press release are faxed to local and international wire agencies. These tables are also available in hard copy, diskette and CD at Economic Indices and Indicators Division (EIID) of the NSO. Detailed commodity and provincial tables are also available at EIID. It is also included in the office publications such as the Journal of Philippine Statistics and the Monthly Bulletin of Statistics. 1.1.3 Commenting on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics The NSO follows regularly newspaper columns referring to its statistics and issues rejoinders on erroneous reporting. Comments to misunderstandings are provided during meetings of National Price Coordinating Council where private associations are represented. To prevent misunderstandings, NSO publishes summary methodologies explaining the use of its price statistics and a Metadata on CPI is updated regularly.1.2.1 Disclosure of terms and conditions for statistical collection, processing, and dissemination National Statistical Office Summaries of the laws are posted on the NSCB website and full texts are available upon request from the NSO and NSCB. All NSO publications either outline the legal terms or indicate where more information about its products can be found.Price index: Consumer prices Summaries of the previously mentioned laws and executive orders are posted on the NSCB web site and full texts are available upon request from the NSO and NSCB. All NSO publications also outlines the legal authority used in the conduct of data collection and indication as to where more information about its products and services can be availed of.1.3.1 Guidelines for staff behavior The Core values of the office are posted on various internal memos and printed in some NSO publications. The NSO Mission Statement also emphasizes the integrity, objectivity, and professionalism of the statistical agency’s staff. New staff are made aware or these objectives during orientation and reminded periodically by the management. The obligations of NSO and its staff, as provided by the legislation referred in 0.1.1, are emphasized to the informants as well as users of data. General codes of conduct for the staff are circulated in the form of a memorandum by the Office of the Administrator. | |||||||||||
| Identification of internal government access to data before release | 1.2.2 Internal governmental access to statistics prior to release A copy of the CPI monthly report and the accompanying press release is hand-delivered, under seal, to the Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and to the Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), one day prior to the scheduled date of release for information. | |||||||||||
| Identification of ministerial commentary on the occasion of statistical releases | 1.2.3 Attribution of statistical products The CPI press release, monthly and annual publications all include NSO logos and name of the NSO. The monthly press releases are also signed by the Administrator. Attribution is requested for any reference to its statistics or publications. | |||||||||||
| Provision of information about revision and advance notice of major changes in methodology | 4.3.1 Revision schedule Revisions are made if data from a province or data from a source agency are received after the release date.4.3.2 Identification of preliminary and/or revised data Data revisions are indicated by a footnote and are included in the next month's release.1.2.4 Advance notice of major changes in methodology, source data, and statistical techniques. An advanced release calendar is posted on the NSO website and a press release is given in advance for the monthly schedule of release of various data, including the CPI. Changes in methodology, weights, data or base year are first discussed in length at Technical Committee meetings, where also main users both in the government and private sector including the academe are represented. A press release is also issued ahead of publishing a new series. Any changes in the methodology are usually implemented at the time when the rebasing of the series is done. This process takes time and most users are aware of this, since it happens relatively predictably in about every six years. Data revisions are indicated by footnote and are included in the next month’s release. Notice of major changes in methodology is made through press releases prior to, or together with, the release of the data. | |||||||||||
| Quality | ||||||||||||
| Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing statistics | 5.2.1 Dissemination of documentation on concepts, scope, classifications, basis of recording, data sources, and statistical techniques The index methodology is found in the "CPI User's Manual" and may be requested from the Economic Indices and Indicators Division of the NSO, R. Magsaysay Blvd., Sta. Mesa.Manila, (Phone: 63 2 7153347; Fax: 63 2 7163935). Technical notes on the consumer price index is also available on the NSO's website, http://www.census.gov.ph/data/technotes/notecpi.html. 5.2.2 Disseminated level of detail CPI at major group level and subgroup level on a national and regional level are included in the monthly press release.(See also summary methodology) | |||||||||||
| Dissemination of component detail, reconciliations with related data, and statistical frameworks that support statistical cross-checks and provide assurance of reasonableness | 4.2.1 Internal consistency Long time series are provided on some publications and on the NSO website. Previous year’s series with different base years are limited with the series in the new base year. Base year series are linked. Linking factors for different series are also provided. The CPI is used in deflating the household final expenditure in the System of National Accounts (SNA). | |||||||||||
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