Statcomm43 Romulo

Mainstreaming Disability Statistics
in the Philippine Statistical System:

Challenges and Opportunities
Presented by
Romulo A. Virola
Secretary General
National Statistical Coordination Board, Philippines
Side Event on
Disability Data and Statistics for Inclusive Development: Next Steps for Action at the
National, Regional, and Global Levels
Organized by the Division for Social Policy and Development
43rd Session of the UN Statistical Commission
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., 01 March 2012
Side Event at the 43rd Session of the UNSC Republic of the Philippines
1 RAVirola/ 01 March 2012 NATIONAL STATISTICAL COORDINATION BOARD
Discussion Points Requested
1. The experience of the Philippines – how disability data

have been used for national policy-making
2. What is the biggest challenge in your experience in

mainstreaming the collection and analysis of
disability data and statistics (creating demand for
disability statistics and building national capacity)
3. How can international cooperation help to address this

challenge?
Outline of Presentation
I. Efforts of the Philippines Statistical System (PSS) on the

Compilation of Disability Statistics
II. Challenges and Opportunities on the Generation of

Disability Statistics
III. Way Forward
I. Efforts of the PSS on the Compilation of Disability Statistics
I. Efforts of the Philippine Statistical System

(PSS) on the Compilation of Disability
Statistics
A. Promotion of Disability Concerns in the Philippines:

•Guided by internationally agreed frameworks/commitments, such
as the:
•United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities
•ILO Convention on the Vocational Rehabilitation of Persons with

Disability

•Guided by local legal/official frameworks such as the:
1) The 1987 Constitution
• There are five provisions of the Constitution where persons

with disability are expressly mentioned to ensure that
persons with disability have equal participation in the
Philippine Society
• Mandates the establishment of National Commission

Concerning Disabled Persons (NCCDP, now National
Council on Disability Affairs, NCDA) for their rehabilitation
development and self-reliance, and integration into the
mainstream of society
2. Accessibility Law (July 26, 1982)

•requires that public buildings meet reasonable
accessibility requirements in order to promote the mobility of
persons with disability
3. Republic Act. No. 6759 White Cane Act (Sept 18, 1989)
•awareness raising measure for the benefit of visually impaired
persons

4. Magna Carta for Disabled Persons (Republic Act No. 7277 of
1992)
The Magna Carta contains specific provisions and policies:

•Address the concerns of persons with disability and ensures that
they are provided equal opportunities and participation in their
development
•Prohibits acts of discrimination in the area of employment,

transportation services and use of public accommodations
•Grants 20% discount privileges in the purchase of medicines and

other basic services
5. Republic Act. No. 8425 Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation

Act (Dec 11, 1997)
•Declares that the State should adopt an area-based sectoral
and focused intervention to poverty alleviation
•Identified persons with disability as 1of the 14 basic sectors.
6. National Plan of Action for the Philippine Decade of Persons

with Disabilities (2003-2012)
7. National Human Rights Action Plan 2009-2014, particularly on

the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD)
8. Philippine Development Plan (2011-2016)
•Includes in Chapter 8 on Social Development strategies on PWDs,

such as on education and training of PWDs, full implementation of
laws protecting PWDs, amended Magna Carta for PWDs
B. Promotion of disability concerns at the global level
• The Philippines has supported/initiated resolutions on disability

concerns adopted by the UN General Assembly (GA)
- A/Res/65/186 - Realizing the Millennium Development

Goals for PWDs Towards 2015 and Beyond
- A/Res/66/124 – High Level Meeting on the Realization of

the MDGs and Other Internationally-Agreed Development
Goals for PWDs
Now widely recognized that,
Efforts aimed at advancing the status of PWDs require timely

and accurate information on the situation of PWDs.
In the Philippines,
The Philippine Statistical System (PSS) acknowledges the need

to provide the necessary data support on disability statistics
for the formulation of plans for the development of the PWDs
The PSS is a decentralized statistical system where different

agencies of government produce various kinds of statistics
including those on PWDs, which has implications on the
quality of disability statistics
Framework of Statistical Coordination in the PSS
Judicial and
Legislative Executive
Office Office
Training, Education
and Research
Institutions
Policy-making/
Coordinating
Data Users Data Producers
Agency
Data Providers/
Respondents
Framework of Statistical Coordination in the PSS
The Decentralized Philippine Statistical System
Major Statistical Agencies
produces
National
Statistics general-purpose
Office statistics
Produces
produces Bureau of establishment
Bureau of
agricultural Agricultural Labor and - based labor
statistics Statistics Employment and
National Statistics employment
Statistical
Coordination
statistics
Board
conducts short-
term courses in
Policy-making Statistical statistics and
produces money Bangko and Research and researches to
and banking Sentral ng
coordinating Training
enhance
Pilipinas Center
statistics body methodologies,
concepts, etc.
What Do We Have In the Philippines?
A. Statistical Policies on Disability Statistics
B. Coordination Mechanisms on Disability Statistics
C. Disability Statistical Products and Services
A. Statistical Policies on Disability Statistics
1. NSCB Resolution No. 22, Series of 2009 – Approving the

Data Items to be Included in the 2010 Census of Population
and Housing
• Questions on functional difficulty, based on the

recommended questions of the WG on Disability Statistics,
were included in the core data items included in the 2010
Census of Population and Housing
2. NSCB Resolution No. 8, Series of 1994 – Enjoining the

agencies of government to promote gender conderns in
the generation of data, which covers sex-disaggregation
of disability statistics
1. Philippine Statistical Development Program (PSDP)
- Serves as a guide to the PSS in the formulation and

implementation of statistical activities during the period as
well as the directions/work plan of the NSCB-coordinated
IAC-HNS.
- One chapter is on Health and Nutrition Statistics, which

particularly addresses concerns on the generation,
dissemination, and utilization of statistics on health and
nutrition, including disability.
- Philippine NSDS, PSDP 2011-2017 – eighth edition since

1976
2. Interagency Committee on Health and Nutrition Statistics

(IACHNS)
- Aims to resolve statistical issues and to address emerging

concerns on health and nutrition statistics, including
disability statistics, to be able to provide relevant reliable
and timely data for planning and programming purposes.
- Composition:
Chair: Department of Health (DOH)
Vice-Chair: National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB)
Members: 13 member agencies, NCDA as resource
person
3. Hosting of International Conferences/Local Advocacy

Interagency Activities
• 8th Meeting of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics

was held in the Philippines on 29-31 October 2008
• Annual Celebration of National Statistics Month – a forum for

collaboration among PSS agencies towards improvement of
sectoral statistics in the Philippines
4. International Cooperation
• Participation of the Philippines, through the NSCB, on various

conferences/fora/meetings/regional and global projects
- Meetings of the Washington Group on Disability

Statistics, including Annual Reporting on National
Activities Related to Disability Statistics
- Sessions of the UN Statistical Commission, International
Statistical Institute, etc
- UN ESCAP/Washington Group Project on Disability
Statistics

4. International Cooperation (cont.)
• Conduct of UNESCAP- WG- NSO Project on the Improvement of

Disability Measurement and Statistics in Asia and the Pacific
- Cognitive and field test of the International Classification

of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) based
disability questions for surveys
- Cognitive and field test project under the Biwako

Millennium Framework (BMF) and Regional Census
Programme, a project implemented by the UNESCAP
from 2007 to 2009
- The Philippines was one of the six countries which

undertook the cognitive and field testing in 2009.
1. 1983 National Disability Survey
-Conducted by the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled

Persons (NCWD) now National Commission on Disability
Affairs (NCDA) with the Department of Health and University of
the Philippines General Hospital
2. Conduct of 1990 CPH, 1995 PopCen, and 2000 CPH with 1

question on disability
Disability Question:
“Does _______ have any physical or mental disability?”

1 Yes
2 No
2. Conduct of 1990 CPH, 1995 PopCen, and 2000 CPH with 1

question on disability
Official statistics on PWDs: Proportion of PWDs less than 1.5%
2000 CPH: 942,098 (1.23%)
1995 PopCen: 919,292 (1.34%)
1990 CPH: 636,999 (1.05%)
3. Conduct of the 2010 CPH with questions on functional difficulty

• Inclusion of short set of questions recommended by the WG on
functional disability in the 2010 CPH
Functional Difficulty Question:

“Does ____ have any difficulty/problem in…?”
Yes No
a) Seeing, even when wearing eyeglasses

b) Hearing, even when using a hearing aid
c) Walking or climbing steps
d) Remembering or concentrating
e) Self-caring (bathing or dressing)
f) Communicating using his/her usual language
• Questions were translated in English, Filipino and five major dialects

(Cebuano, Waray, Ilocano, Bicolano, Hilgaynon)
3. Conduct of the 2010 CPH with questions on functional

difficulty
Using the results of the 2010 CPH:
• The following statistical tables on disability are planned to be

released in 2012:
o Table 8. Household population with functional difficulty

by sex and age group
o Table 9. Household population 5 years old and over with
functional difficulty by type, sex and age group
4. Conduct of some testing for effective data gathering of

disability statistics
A. Pretests of Census of Population
B. WHO/UNESCAP Disability Question Set Testing
C. Washington Group General Measure on Disability Cognitive

Test
5. Available Administrative Data on PWDs
• Data/information on the number of PWDs served on a

quarterly, semestral and annual basis
• Data are released through the Compendium of the

Department of Social Welfare and Development and Selected
Social Welfare and Development Statistics
5. Available Administrative Data on PWDs (cont.)
• Some Administrative Data on PWDs are also available from the

following agencies:
- Social Security System (SSS) and Government Security and

Insurance System (GSIS)
o statistics on employed workers registered in their system
who became disabled when they claim for benefits
-Department of Social Welfare and Development

o statistics based on the submitted administrative forms on
“Social Services for Distressed and Displaced Population”
-Department of Education
o statistics based on enrolment records of public schools
and special schools where PWDs are currently enrolled
6. Philippine Registry for PWDs – many problems
• Department of Health’s National Center for Disease

Prevention and Control (DOH-NCDPC), in coordination with
the National Council for Disability Affairs
• Uses a web-based system for the issuance of PWD

Identification Cards which was launched last 24 September
2009
• Aimed to eventually establish the Philippine Registry for

PWDs (PRPWDs) for the issuance of the identification
numbers and the generation of statistical reports
II. Challenges and Opportunities
on the Generation of Disability Statistics
II. Challenges and Opportunities on the Generation

of Disability Statistics
In mainstreaming disability statistics in the Philippine

Statistical System, what challenges do/did we face?
A. Methodological/Operational – lack of capabilities of

official Statisticians/data producers on the
measurement of disability
• Measurement problems associated with functional
difficulty
• Need to ensure use of international standards
• Problems are being encountered in the
establishment of the Philippine Registry for PWDs
In mainstreaming disability statistics in the Philippine

Statistical System, what challenges do/did we face?
B. Lack of Statistical Capacity of dutybearers/users of

disability statistics (NCDA)
C. Need for better coordination of the agencies of
government involved in the generation of
disabilitystatistics
D. Lack of resources allocated for disability statistics!
E. Absence of clearly demonstrated policy uses of
disability statistics – the BIGGEST CHALLENGE – the
absence of a demand-driven disability statistics
culture
A. Philippine Registry for PWDs

Area Target Actual
1. Registered 4.3 million PWDs (assuming 5% Registry started in 2004.
PWDs of the population are PWDs)
As of 2009: Only approximately
Note: Official statistics on 5,000 registered.
PWDs are,
As of 2010: Despite the
2000 CPH: 942,098 (1.23%) introduction of web-based
1995 PopCen: 919,292 (1.34%) registration in 2010, only 500
1990 CPH: 636,999 (1.05%) registrants were added.
Main source of reference: National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (NCPDC), DOH. The
NCPDC is the unit in charge of the Philippine Registry for PWDs.
A. Philippine Registry for PWDs (cont.)
Area Target Actual

2. Budget There was no specific funds allocated for the
national registration. Per Manual of Operations,
the Municipal Health Offices need to prepare a
work and financial plan to be submitted to the
Office of the Mayor for approval and funding.
Lacked financial resources to cover

transportation allowances of registrants
especially those coming from distant
barangays/villages.

Area Target Actual
3. Operations Manuals were distributed to concerned local units
with only a month or few weeks before conduct of
the Registry.
Very few PWD organizations were mobilized to

assist in the registration.
Training of trainers lasted for three days; Re-

echoing the national registration training to the
local government health units lasted at most half
a day
Local health workers handling the registration

complained of work overload.
Side Event at the 43 Session of the UNSC
rd
Republic of the Philippines
Area Target Actual

4. Advocacy Lacked information campaign on
the Registry and its
incentives/benefits/advantages
5. Institutionalization Needed to identify key players in

the institutionalization of the
national registration
B. Cognitive Testing of Functional Difficulty for 2010

Census
Cognitive Test Process
• Long and tedious

• Requires persuasion and good note taking skills
• Emotionally depleting especially if the respondent
belongs to the low socio-economic status group
• Requires some knowledge of medical conditions
especially to validate self-report ailments or
determine health disparities (for functional
difficulty)
Source: Philippines’ National Statistics Office. 2009. Philippines’ NSO Experience in Cognitive Testing
of Functional Difficulty. 9th Meeting of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics. 7-9 October
2009.
Working Towards the Improvement of Disability Statistics

has been challenging but it also has its
rewards/opportunities
A. The Philippine engagement with the Washington
Group under the leadership of NCHS/Jennifer
Madans has been an empowering experience
towards mainstreaming disability statistics in the
PSS
- Official Statisticians now know more about

disability
- Official Statisticians now know better how to
measure disability

B. Efforts of the statistical agencies to improve
sectoral statistics like on disability, have opened up
avenues to improve statistical coordination within
the Philippine Statistical System and enhance
appreciation for statistics by stakeholders
Many more agencies of government are now

consulting/collaborating with the statistical
agencies towards
• Development of a Registry of Farmers

Side Event at the 43rd •theDevelopment
Session of UNSC of a Registry of Fisherfolk
Republic of the Philippines

C. Integration of statistics in decision making (on poverty
alleviation) in the Philippines has been enhanced
- With the support of the World Bank, the NSCB
produced small area poverty estimates which were
used by the DSWD to identify beneficiaries of our CCT
program. The PSS-DSWD collaboration on poverty
alleviation (NHTSPR) has been an inspiring experience
towards the integration of statistics in decision-making
- Statistics are now very visibly being used in
the primary program of government on poverty
alleviation and stakeholders, including politicians
know it, even if not all of them like it!
III. Way Forward
III. Way Forward
III. Way Forward
Where do we want to go?
Mainstreaming disability statistics in the Philippine Statistical

System means:
1. Availability of Better statistics on PWDs
• Need for timely, regular, relevant and sex -disaggregated

disability statistics – (socio-economic profile)who are the
PWDs?
• Need for sub-national (local level) disability data–where are

the PWDs?
III. Way Forward
Where do we want to go?
Mainstreaming disability statistics in the Philippine Statistical

System means:
2. Better use of better statistics on PWDs
Disability statistics are actually used to craft programs and

policies for inclusive development
3. Higher investments on disability statistics
Government is giving higher budgetary priority to the

generation, dissemination/communication, and use of
disability statistics
III. Way Forward
To mainstream disability statistics in the Philippine Statistical System

towards inclusive development, towards better development
outcomes for PWDs: some strategies
1. Statistical Capacity Building
• Producers of statistics
• Users of statistics - NCDA
2. Greater Advocacy – we need convincing articulation on the

importance of disability statistics by agencies promoting PWDs
• NCDA to push for better statistics on PWDs

• PWDs are one of the 14 basic sectors – poverty statistics
available for 8 of the basic sectors but not for PWDs
III. Way Forward

towards inclusive development, better development outcomes
for PWDs: some strategies
3. Institutionalization of collection/dissemination of statistics on

PWDs in the Philippine Statistical System
•The Philippine Statistical Development Program 2011-2017

has identified programs on disability statistics
• Conduct of disability surveys

• Improvement of the Registry of PWDs
• Improved sharing of disability data - Devt of disability
data portal
III. Way Forward

4. Better coordination - Lack of coordination wastes resources
• Within countries, between the statistical community and

the program ministries
• Among the stakeholders in the international community
III. Way Forward

5. Continued engagement with/of the international community
•Methodological Work/Capacity Building
• Devt of long set of questions by Washington Group

• Methodological Initiatives of WHO
• Training Programs of SIAP – both producers & users of
statistics
•Conduct of Regional/International Workshops

• UNESCAP for sharing of experiences
III. Way Forward

5. Continued engagement with/of the international community
•Implementation of the Busan Action Plan for Statistics

• World Bank as a key player
•Financial/Technical Assistance
•Help in the Advocacy for Statistics, Advocacy for PWDs
III. Way Forward
It costs money to generate, disseminate, and utilize

high quality statistics!
Resources for statistics have increased but

have not been commensurate with the much
increased demand for statistics
If we want better disability statistics, we must cultivate a

genuine political will
• to advocate for statistics,

• to invest in statistics,
Investment on Disability Statistics = Investment on PWDs!

Maraming Salamat po!
URL: http://www.nscb.gov.ph
e-mail: info@nscb.gov.ph

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Mainstreaming Disability Statistics

in the Philippine Statistical System:

1. The experience of the Philippines – how disability data

2. What is the biggest challenge in your experience in

3. How can international cooperation help to address this

I. Efforts of the Philippines Statistical System (PSS) on the

II. Challenges and Opportunities on the Generation of

III. Way Forward

I. Efforts of the Philippine Statistical System

A. Promotion of Disability Concerns in the Philippines:

•United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with

•ILO Convention on the Vocational Rehabilitation of Persons with

A. Promotion of Disability Concerns in the Philippines:

1) The 1987 Constitution

• There are five provisions of the Constitution where persons

• Mandates the establishment of National Commission

A. Promotion of Disability Concerns in the Philippines:

•Guided by local legal/official frameworks such as the:

2. Accessibility Law (July 26, 1982)

A. Promotion of Disability Concerns in the Philippines:

•Guided by local legal/official frameworks such as the:

The Magna Carta contains specific provisions and policies:

•Prohibits acts of discrimination in the area of employment,

•Grants 20% discount privileges in the purchase of medicines and

A. Promotion of Disability Concerns in the Philippines:

•Guided by local legal/official frameworks such as the:

5. Republic Act. No. 8425 Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation

6. National Plan of Action for the Philippine Decade of Persons

7. National Human Rights Action Plan 2009-2014, particularly on

A. Promotion of Disability Concerns in the Philippines:

•Guided by local legal/official frameworks such as the:

8. Philippine Development Plan (2011-2016)

•Includes in Chapter 8 on Social Development strategies on PWDs,

B. Promotion of disability concerns at the global level

• The Philippines has supported/initiated resolutions on disability

- A/Res/65/186 - Realizing the Millennium Development

- A/Res/66/124 – High Level Meeting on the Realization of

Now widely recognized that,

Efforts aimed at advancing the status of PWDs require timely

The Philippine Statistical System (PSS) acknowledges the need

The PSS is a decentralized statistical system where different

What Do We Have In the Philippines?

A. Statistical Policies on Disability Statistics

B. Coordination Mechanisms on Disability Statistics

C. Disability Statistical Products and Services

A. Statistical Policies on Disability Statistics

1. NSCB Resolution No. 22, Series of 2009 – Approving the

• Questions on functional difficulty, based on the

2. NSCB Resolution No. 8, Series of 1994 – Enjoining the

B. Coordination Mechanisms on Disability Statistics

1. Philippine Statistical Development Program (PSDP)

- Serves as a guide to the PSS in the formulation and

- One chapter is on Health and Nutrition Statistics, which

- Philippine NSDS, PSDP 2011-2017 – eighth edition since

B. Coordination Mechanisms on Disability Statistics

2. Interagency Committee on Health and Nutrition Statistics

- Aims to resolve statistical issues and to address emerging

B. Coordination Mechanisms on Disability Statistics

3. Hosting of International Conferences/Local Advocacy

• 8th Meeting of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics

• Annual Celebration of National Statistics Month – a forum for

B. Coordination Mechanisms on Disability Statistics

• Participation of the Philippines, through the NSCB, on various