“No more decisions based on assumptions” — Vice-Gov. Odiem underscore’s importance of CBMS data for Kalinga’s development, policy thrusts

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Vice Governor Dave Odiem vowed to push for evidence-based decision-making in the Provincial Government of Kalinga, saying the latest Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) data will be used to guide government planning, budgeting and delivery of services.

Odiem made the statement after the Provincial Local Government Unit formally received the 2024 CBMS dataset from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Kalinga on September 29, 2026.

“For those of us in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, these data are very valuable. When we deliberate on the budget, pass ordinances, or approve development plans, we want those decisions to rest on evidence rather than on assumption,” Odiem said.

The CBMS is a technology-based system for collecting, processing and validating local-level data that provides a multidimensional picture of communities, including their living conditions, poverty status and vulnerabilities.

PSA Kalinga Chief Statistical Specialist Maribel Dalayday said the CBMS shows how people are actually faring at the grassroots level.

PSA Cordillera Regional Director Villafe Alibuyog said not all provincial governments have possession of the CBMS dataset, noting that Kalinga received the data after the PLGU requested it and supported the PSA’s data-gathering activities.

Following the turnover, the PSA and PLGU signed a Data Transfer Agreement governing the use and protection of the information.

Odiem stressed that the dataset contains personal information gathered from families who opened their homes to enumerators and shared details about their households, livelihoods and living conditions.

“We are duty-bound to keep that information secure, to use it only for planning and for delivering programs and services, and to share it only with those who need it for that purpose,” he said.

The vice governor said the CBMS should not be viewed simply as a collection of numbers, as the data can show which communities have access to basic services and which sectors are being left behind.

The dataset includes information on access to clean water, electricity, education and health services, among other indicators.

“These results will help us ask better questions and direct our limited resources to the barangays and sectors that need them most,” Odiem said.

He said the information could also strengthen the province’s Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan, Annual Investment Program, and proposals submitted to national government agencies and development partners.

Odiem urged the provincial office handling the CBMS to ensure that the latest results reach planners, department heads and other offices that can use the information in designing and implementing programs.

“Good data is like a compass. It could direct users on what road to go next. But data help only when it is used,” he said.

The provincial government’s access to the 2024 CBMS dataset provides updated community-level information that can be used to identify development priorities and direct limited public resources toward barangays and sectors with greater needs.