Frequently Asked Questions

CBMS refers to an organized technology-based system of collecting, processing, and validating necessary disaggregated data that may be used for planning, program implementation, and impact monitoring at the local level while empowering communities to participate in the process.

• generate updated and disaggregated data necessary in the targeting of beneficiaries (e.g. identifying beneficiaries for social development programs);
• conduct of a more comprehensive poverty analysis and needs prioritization (e.g. generating registries on/locating vulnerable sectors/groups);
• design of appropriate policies and interventions;
• provision of a mechanism for impact monitoring over time (e.g. statistics on  Sustainable Development Goals [SDG] indicators to monitor compliance to the SDGs);
• provision of information that can be used in planning (e.g. Comprehensive Land Use Plan [CLUP], Comprehensive Development Plan [CDP]) to enable a system of public spending that warrants government allocation on areas and populace that are most wanting;
• establishment of a data collection, data sharing, and information management system which shall respect the fundamental human right to privacy, ensure data quality, and uphold data protection principles of legitimate purpose, transparency, and proportionality;  
• establishment of a CBMS database at the national and city/municipal level; and,
• generation of relevant statistics at higher levels that will complement and supplement local level data. 

Republic Act No. 11315, otherwise known as the Community-Based Monitoring System Act, was signed into law by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on 17 April 2019. Subsequently, the CBMS Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) was signed by the National Statistician and Civil Registrar General, Undersecretary Dennis S. Mapa, on 20 May 2020.

The law provides for the adoption of a community-based monitoring system that shall contain disaggregated city and municipal data. It identified the

• (i) mechanism for implementation to include periodicity and coverage of data collection;
• (ii) structure for CBMS implementation indicating agencies responsible for overall management, supervision, advocacy, and capacity building; and
• (iii) utilization and regulation in the dissemination of such information.

Statistical information can be generated on the following data that are to be collected:

• Data items needed to compute the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)
MPI is a measure that inteds to capture deprivations in various dimensions. This measure can be broken down to reveal incidence and contribution of each indicators to the overall deprivation, thus, providing a clearer picture for the design and implementation of poverty reduction programs and policies.
• Data to be collected from households include the following, among others:
  • Demography
  • Education
  • Health
  • Economic activity
  • Housing, water, and sanitation
  • Disaster preparedness
• Data to be collected from the barangays include the following, among others;
  • Service facilities in the barangay
  • Volunteerism
  • ICT readiness of the barangay
  • Disaster risk reduction management practices and resources
  • Natural resources of the barangay
• Data to be collected from service and community facilities include "Location" among others.

CBMS shall be undertaken regularly with synchronized data collection to be conducted by every city and municipality every three (3) years.

It may also be conducted at shorter intervals, by cities and municipalities at their own expense, for purposes peculiarly useful to them.

• PSA will be in charge of the triennial synchronized conduct of the CBMS.
• LGUs will be responsible for the conduct of CBMS in between years of synchronized conduct.

• CBMS shall cover all cities and municipalities nationwide.
• Since CBMS is a census, it involves complete enumeration of households within the barangay.

Although CBMS is a census, R.A. No. 11315 provides for voluntary participation in the data collection activity.

The right to privacy of every respondent remains inviolable. As such, respondents:

• shall be fully informed of the nature and extent of processing intended for his or her personal data;
• may refuse to answer any question or reveal any information at any point, or terminate data collection activities with no further action needed; and,
• may opt to execute an explicit waiver to authorize the city or municipality and PSA to disclose their identities and other relevant information about their household to the government agencies that provide social protection programs. 

• Set statistical standards in the implementation of CBMS and ensure that the same are properly observed;
• Capacitate cities and municipalities in the collection of poverty data at the local level pursuant to Rule IV of the IRR;
• Develop and review data collection forms utilizing as base of existing CBMS forms used by LGUs;
• Conduct cross-posting as follow-up capacity building of cities and municipalities;
• Monitor the data collection by cities and municipalities to ensure adherence to official concepts, definitions, and standards of poverty statistics;
• Act as the national repository of all poverty data collected by cities and municipalities;
• Process the poverty data generated and submitted by cities and municipalities;
• Generate poverty statistics at higher levels that will complement and supplement local level data;
• Set the qualification standards for the hiring of provincial/city/municipal statisticians in accordance with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules and regulations;
• Set qualification standards for the hiring of data collectors and processors;
• Ensure synchronized CBMS implementation including providing the timetable of operations;
• Undertake measures to ensure the integrity, security, and safety of the gathered information against unnecessary leakage and access by unauthorized persons; and,
• Perform such other functions as may be necessary or incidental to the proper implementation of the Act.

• Cities and municipalities shall be responsible for the following:
  • Conduct synchronized data collection on CBMS every three (3) years;
  • Utilize CBMS generated data in local governance processes; Designate/appoint city/municipal statistician that shall be primarily responsible for
    • (i) data collection;
    • (ii) preservation; and
    • (iii) safekeeping data retained at the city or municipal level;
  • Generate and submit all CBMS data gathered to PSA; Participate in CBMS-related advocacy, training, and capacity-building activities; and,
  • Share CBMS data in accordance with the data sharing guidelines issued by the CBMS Council and existing laws, rules, and regulations. 
• Provinces shall utilize CBMS generated data in local governance processes such as but not limited to local planning, investment programming, budgeting, program identification and implementation, as well as disaster risk reduction and management measures.
• LGUs shall also be responsible for the conduct of CBMS in between years of CBMS sychronized conduct.

• Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
  • Shall serve as the lead in the implementation of the CBMS. There shall be a Community-Based Statistics Service (CBSS) to be established under the Censuses and Technical Coordination Office of the PSA and plantilla positions for statisticians in the PSA Provincial Offices to monitor and manage CBMS enumeration activities of the LGUs.
• Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
  • Shall develop and implement information and educational campaign relating to CBMS. The DILG shall ensure compliance of the LGUs in various CBMS activities; and extend assistance to PSA in the conduct and implementation of the CBMS.
• Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)
  • Shall provide technical assistance in the development and maintenance of the CBMS Portal and CBMS Databank, develop the institutional arrangements on data sharing between the CBMS Council and relevant national government agencies, and conduct capacity building on the use and operation of the CBMS Portal and databank/database.
• Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute (PSRTI)
  • Shall spearhead the development and implementation of capacity building and research programs of the CBMS in coordination with State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).
• CBMS Network
  • Shall provide capacity building support on the CBMS methodology and existing CBMS tools; share training modules on tablet-based data collection, data processing and mapping; and, assist PSA in the development of new modules on the use of CBMS data for planning and program implementation.
• State Universities and Colleges (SUCs)
  • Shall assist in the capacity building activities for LGUs on CBMS data collection and processing and other trainings for data analysis and presentation of CBMS data and Databank/database. Community Organizations Shall serve as advocates of CBMS and as sources of complementary information in CBMS implementation.

• The processing of personal information shall adhere to the principles of transparency, legitimate purpose, and proportionality pursuant to R.A. No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and R.A. No. 10625 or the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013.
• As mandated under the law, the PSA shall set statistical standards in the implementation of the CBMS to ensure data quality and proper handling of data, and undertake measures to ensure integrity, security, and safety of the gathered information.
• Guidelines will be issued by the PSA and the CBMS Council for the purpose.

The National CBMS Databank, to be kept, owned, and managed by PSA, contains all the aggregate data gathered by cities and municipalities submitted to PSA for storage.

• Aggregated statistics generated from the CBMS shall be stored in the National CBMS Databank. Depending on the data user type, access conditions shall be set and institutionalized following the data sharing protocols to be set by the CBMS Council.
• LGUs will have their own local CBMS databases containing data on their areas of jurisdiction.
• Similar to PSA census/survey data, public use files may be made available for researchers after ensuring that these data sets are anonymized, i.e. containing no personally identifiable information.