GUIMARAS HOLDS FIRST DATA PITCHING CHALLENGE
The Provincial Government of Guimaras held its first Data Pitching Challenge on October 18, 2024 at Caza Guest House, San Miguel, Jordan, Guimaras, aiming to foster innovation and data-driven solutions in the region.
The initiative which was participated by five presenters and members of the Development Administrative Committee (DAC) of the Provincial Development Council, encouraged participants to develop creative strategies and proposals using data to address various local issues, including economic development, sustainability, and public services.
The challenge which is one of the activities for Guimaras Data Festival in celebration of the 35th National Statistics Month, is part of the Provincial Government’s efforts to promote digital transformation and enhance its competitiveness by leveraging technology and data analytics.
Five participants from the local government units, national government agencies, and the academe presented their ideas in front of a panel of judges who were composed of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Provincial Director Roselyn B. Quintana, CESO V; Dr. Alexander J. Balsomo, Dean, West Visayas State University – College of Arts and Sciences; Ms. Ella Lee P. Galve, LPT, faculty, Central Philippine University.
Ms. Mebelaine Magno, Executive Assistant I, from the Municipality of Nueva Valencia, was declared champion of the Data Pitching Challenge and received Php 3,000 cash prize. She presented her technical report titled: “Undeveloped Tourism Industry Rresulting to Low Tourist Arrivals and Receipts”.
Municipality of Jordan’s Renante D. Baleña came second with his presentation of “Population Pyramid Analysis and Strategic Recommendations for Sustainable Development”. He received Php 2,000 as cash prize. Mark Jaylord Saplagio of the Municipality of Buenavista placed third with his presentation titled: “Digital Innovation for Child-Friendly Data Collection in the Municipality of Buenavista” and took home Php 1,000 in cash.
Governor JC Rahman A. Nava MD said that these kind of activities paved for the Province of Guimaras to be recognized as the Best LGU advocate for statistics.
The governor is elated that many people in Guimaras now value data and statistics and if this trend continues, gradually the problems in Guimaras will be solved using the right data and statistics.
“You will never be contented in your data unless you proved that it is statistically significant so, ma-value mo gid further kun ano ang data nga nakaptan mo. So, subong nakita niyo ang mga trend, ang pagbutang sang statistics sa data naton, biskan ang sampling numbers mo ginapamangkot na so, naga more credible ang aton position kag ang aton nga study. So, siguro kay the more credible ang aton nga data, the more nga ang approaches naton will be deliberate… more deliberated ang aton nga mga solutions nga puwede i-plastar sa aton nga mga programa. So, this is where we are right now and with more people, more Guimarasnon adapting this trend and are more curious about data and statistics, I’m confident nga maamat-amatan naton ini pangitaan sang pamaagi kun ano magsolbar sang mga problema naton diri sa probinsiya sang Guimaras kag base sa mga topics subong, daw angayan gid,” Gov. Nava said.
Guimaras Data Pitching Challenge not only fostered local talent but also showcased the importance of data in addressing real-world problems, positioning Guimaras as a forward-thinking province.