Title
Supreme Court
Philippine Statistical System Reorganization
Law
Republic Act No. 10625
Decision Date
Sep 6, 2013
The Philippine Statistical Act of 2013 reorganizes the Philippine Statistical System (PSS) by establishing the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) as the central statistical authority responsible for conducting censuses and surveys, collecting and publishing statistical information, and coordinating with government departments and local government units, while also addressing confidentiality, information obligations, and the transition of existing government bodies.

Law Summary

Declaration of Policy

  • Reorganize the Philippine Statistical System (PSS) to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Maintain integrated, independent, objective, and credible statistical services.
  • Support decentralized statistical infrastructure for local development planning.

Reorganization of the Philippine Statistical System (PSS)

  • Structural and functional reorganization in accordance with the Act.

Composition of the Philippine Statistical System (PSS)

  • Includes statistical organizations at all levels, personnel, and national statistical program.
  • Consists of policy-making and coordinating bodies, research and training institute, and government agencies engaged in statistics.
  • Decentralized system with strong coordination and personnel postings.

Creation of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)

  • PSA attached to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for policy coordination.
  • Composed of PSA Board, sectoral statistics, censuses and technical coordination, civil registration, central support, and field services.
  • PSA Board is the highest statistical policy-making body.
  • PSA's data are the official government statistics.
  • Responsibility for censuses, surveys, sectoral statistics, and national accounts consolidation.
  • Formed by merging National Statistics Office (NSO), Technical Staff of NSCB, Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES).
  • Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas retains banking/financial stats responsibility.

Functions of the PSA

  • Central authority on primary data collection.
  • Conduct periodic censuses and surveys.
  • Compile and publish statistical information on socioeconomic data.
  • Enforce civil registration functions.
  • Collaborate with government departments and GOCCs for statistical data.
  • Promote integrated social and economic statistics.
  • Develop statistical collection and dissemination standards.
  • Avoid duplication through coordination with government entities.
  • Improve methodologies with PSRTI coordination.
  • Recommend policies and prepare Philippine Statistical Development Program (PSDP).
  • Implement statistical policies and other assigned functions.

PSA Board Composition

  • Chaired by NEDA Director-General; Vice Chair is DBM Secretary or Undersecretary.
  • Includes National Statistician, representatives from government departments, BSP, PSRTI, Philippine Statistical Association, GOCCs, ULAP, and private sector.
  • Organized into five sections covering agriculture, labor, census design, statistical modeling, and IT systems.
  • Can create additional sections.

PSA Board Meetings and Compensation

  • First meeting within 45 days post-law effectivity.
  • Quarterly regular meetings; special meetings as necessary.
  • Non-ex-officio members receive per diem with monthly caps.

Powers and Functions of the PSA Board

  • Promote efficient statistical system.
  • Policy formulation on government statistical standards.
  • Review and rationalize statistical programs and budgets.
  • Coordinate statistical operations at regional and local levels.
  • Provide technical assistance and supervision.
  • Recommend executive/legislative measures.
  • Approve the Philippine Statistical Development Program.
  • Majority vote for decisions; quorum required.
  • Government agencies mandated to comply with PSA directives; failures penalized administratively and criminally.

Inter-Agency Committees on Statistics (IACs)

  • Created to address sectoral concerns.
  • Committees cover agriculture, trade, infrastructure, financial, social, gender, environment, ICT, science, governance, migration, fiscal matters, and resources.
  • Flexibility to create/abolish committees.
  • Can form subcommittees/working groups with technical staff.
  • Report work programs and findings to PSA Board.

National Statistician

  • Head of PSA, appointed by the President from nominees.
  • Must have data management experience and master’s degree in Statistics.
  • Serves a 5-year term, subject to reappointment.
  • Duties include administration of PSA, rulemaking, civil registration supervision, policy implementation, personnel appointments below Director rank, representation, and report submission.

Organizational Structure of PSA

  • Offices: Sectoral Statistics, Censuses and Technical Coordination, Civil Registration and Central Support, Field Statistical Services.
  • Headed by National Statistician with three Deputy National Statisticians for sectoral, censuses, and civil registration areas.
  • Support units include legal services, methodology, international cooperation, and planning.
  • Several Assistant National Statisticians oversee various statistical areas.

Functions of Sectoral Statistics Office

  • Provide technical support for various economic and social sectors.
  • Support national accounts generation.
  • Conduct required surveys per statistical calendar.

Functions of Censuses and Technical Coordination Office

  • Conduct censuses and disseminate results.
  • Maintain statistical standards and classifications.
  • Provide technical assistance and coordinate regional statistics.
  • Manage IT support and cartographic services.
  • Maintain archives and data centers.

Functions of Civil Registration and Central Support Office

  • Provide administrative, financial, and HR support.
  • Manage civil registration system support.

Field Statistical Services

  • Establish regional and provincial statistical offices.
  • Provide technical support and assistance to local governments.

Creation and Functions of Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute (PSRTI)

  • Created under NEDA for policy coordination.
  • Abolished Statistical Research and Training Center; transferred assets and personnel.
  • Tasks include research and training program development, research on statistical methods, collaborative research, non-degree training programs, providing scholarships, and acting as a repository of data and research.
  • Authorized to invest funds prudently.

PSRTI Governance and Personnel

  • Headed by an Executive Director appointed by the President.
  • Governing Board chaired by PSA Board Chairperson with members from academia, government, and private sector.
  • Board formulates policies and meets at least biannually.
  • Authorized to engage fellows and associates with specified qualifications for research and training.

PSRTI Funds

  • Endowment fund from previous SRTC transferred to PSRTI.
  • Authorized to accept donations, grants, loans, government appropriations, and income.
  • Operating funds initially from SRTC allocations; future funding based on financial plans.

Posting of Statistical Personnel

  • PSA may deploy statistical personnel to other government offices for work program execution.
  • Personnel supervised by Deputy National Statistician for Sectoral Statistics.
  • Host offices provide performance evaluations.

Philippine Statistical Development Program (PSDP)

  • Comprises all statistical activities in response to development planning and policy needs.

Obligation to Provide Information

  • National Statistician determines if statistical inquiries require mandatory response.
  • Respondents must provide truthful and complete data.
  • Applies to all PSS statistical offices.
  • Obligation is fulfilled upon form receipt.
  • Government provides logistical support for surveys.
  • PSA authorized to obtain data from other government agencies.

Confidentiality of Data

  • Individual data are privileged and inadmissible in court.
  • Aggregated data may be published without personal identifiers.
  • National Statistician and staff must take an oath of confidentiality.
  • Exceptions include publicly available business listings, anonymized microdata for research, and census data after 100 years.

Penalties

  • Failure to provide truthful information leads to 1 year imprisonment and P100,000 fine.
  • Corporations penalized through responsible officers and fines of P100,000 to P500,000.
  • Breach of confidentiality by PSA members or others results in fines and/or imprisonment.
  • Non-compliance with survey clearance results in fines.

Abolition and Transfer of Agencies

  • NSO, BAS, BLES, and NSCB abolished.
  • Their appropriations, records, properties, and personnel transferred to PSA.

Transitory Provisions

  • Absorbed personnel continue functions in holdover capacity to avoid delays.

Early Retirement and Separation Benefits

  • Options provided for personnel not absorbed or declining appointments.
  • Options include retirement gratuity, retirement benefits, and additional monetary incentives based on years of service.
  • Refunds of contributions and leave credits also provided.

Funding for Implementation

  • Initial funding from existing budgets of abolished agencies.
  • Additional funds from current and future appropriations.

Implementing Rules and Regulations

  • PSA Board, PSA, PSRTI, NEDA, and other agencies to formulate rules within 90 days.
  • Rules effective 15 days after publication.

Separability Clause

  • Invalidity of any part does not affect other provisions.

Repealing Clause

  • Executive Order No. 121 and inconsistent laws or rules repealed or modified.

Effectivity

  • Act takes effect upon approval.
...continue reading

Analyze Cases Smarter, Faster
Jur is a legal research platform serving the Philippines with case digests and jurisprudence resources. AI digests are study aids only—use responsibly.

About Privacy Terms