"Planning, policy formulation and decision making in government and private sectors need sound bases to be relevant and effective amidst local and international challenges. For fifty years, the Philippine Statistical Association (PSA) has promoted statistics as an effective tool in national development" said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her congratulatory message sent to the association. The PSA is a non-stock, non-profit organization organized on December 22, 1951 by professionals from business and | |
the academe. For the past 50 years, the growth and development of the PSA remain anchored on these objectives: 1) to foster statistics and its applications in the broadest manner possible; 2) to promote unity and effectiveness of effort among all concerned with statistical problems; and, 3) to increase the contribution of statistics to human welfare. | |
The celebration of PSA Golden Jubilee took off last year with a formal launch held at the Sulo Hotel, Quezon City with the theme "PSA at 50: Strengthening the Role of Statistics and Statisticians in Society." The kick-off ceremony was followed by several activities that included conferences, fora, symposia and other data dissemination activities in cooperation with some institutional members such as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics, National Statistics Office (NSO), National Statistical Coordination Board, Statistical Research and Training Center and Institute of Statistics, UP Los Baños. As part of its commitment to its institutional members, the PSA continues to provide annual training. Market Research Tools was the topic of the training held in November 2001. Consistent with its advocacy campaign, the association continues to ally itself with the NSO for the annual Philippine Statistics Quiz at the regional and national levels. The PSQ turned 10 last year with pride as evidence by the success stories of its past year’s champions. On the lighter side, a one-day sportsfest dubbed as Palarong PSA was also held last May 2002 at the Meralco Jollye Recreation Center.
According to NSO Administrator and current PSA President Carmelita Ericta the closing ceremony of the yearlong celebration shall be highlighted with the giving of recognition to some of its founding members and outstanding individuals this Friday, 20 September 2002 at the Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman Campus, Quezon City. There will be three kinds of awards to be presented.
Lifetime Achievement Award is for distinguished statisticians who have spent many years of sustained excellent statistical work and recognized by his peers for their contribution in the field of statistics. Recipients of this award are Dr. Tito A. Mijares, Dr. Cristina P. Parel, Dr. Mercedes B. Concepcion, Ruben F. Trinidad and Corazon R. Buenaventura. Statisticians who have made contributions toward the development of statistics whether in theoretical or applied statistics are to be conferred with Award of Excellence and they are Tomas P. Africa and Dr. Ann N. Inez Gironella. Special Award shall also be given to individuals who have made a landmark contribution to the growth and development of the PSA and the Philippine Statistical System. Posthumous awards of this kind are to be handed to the relatives of Dr. Burton T. Onate, Dr. Marcelo M. Orense. Other recipients of special award are Nelia R. Marquez and (Ret.) Col. Simeon R. Ventura. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monetary Board Member and former PSA President (1985-1986) Vicente B. Valdepeñas, Jr. is chair of the board judges for the awards.