National Data Archive Launched by the Philippine Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics
The second Philippine Data Archive was launched by the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) in a well-attended program at the Pavilion Hotel in Manila on 08 June 2010. Named the BLES Electronic Archived Microdata System, or BEAMS for short, it includes the documentation of 27 surveys and administrative data system. In her brief presentation, BLES OIC-Director Teresa Peralta, explained how the Accelerated Data Program helped bring to reality its plan to archive the growing volume of data in the Bureau. The launching activity was highlighted by a live demonstration of the BEAMS featuring three of its surveys and administrative data system. In the open forum that followed, BLES Division Chief Manuel Laopao acknowledged that although providing access to the microdata was beneficial to data users, the BLES recognized the need to protect the confidentiality of the data. He explained that the BEAMS does not currently allow public access to the data, but that a data enclave may later be available for selected users.
The audience highly appreciated the availability of detailed information on labor and employment statistics in the web. In turn, the BLES was grateful for the interest and support shown by the guests, which included distinguished personalities in the Philippine Statistical System (PSS) as well as data users from the academe and the private sector. The attendance of representatives of some respondent-establishments of BLES surveys was deemed important because it was an opportune time for them to witness how their participation in the surveys becomes very useful to the public.
The BLES, a bureau of the Department of Labor and Employment, is one of the major statistical agencies in the highly decentralized PSS. It is mandated to produce labor and employment statistics. It is one of three government agencies trained in the IHSN Toolkit in 2009. The other agencies are the National Statistics Office which launched its own NADA last year, and the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics. The BLES supplemented the training by initiating its own Harmonization Workshop to further improve its internal guidelines and standards in documenting surveys.