
The Institute of Statistics underscored excellence and public service as it joined the celebration of the 35th National Statistics Month in October with the theme, “Advancing Data and Statistics Through Digital Transformation: A Road to an Empowered Nation.” This year’s celebration highlighted the crucial role of digital transformation in enhancing public services, increasing access to government offerings, and fostering public engagement through digital platforms.
To emphasize the importance of statistics in various fields, INSTAT offered free statistical consulting services for faculty and students from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines. These services were conducted both in-person and via Zoom from 4 to 8 November.
INSTAT faculty members spearheaded by the Institute’s Coordinator for Public Service, Asst. Prof. Mark Jay Dating, provided guidance to over 30 students, faculty, and researchers from various disciplines during the free statistical consulting service. Furthermore, the initiative benefited them by providing expert guidance on selecting appropriate research methodologies and statistical tools that will help them achieve their study’s objectives.
On the other hand, in line with the celebration of the 35th NSM, INSTAT also demonstrated its commitment to achieving excellence in the field of statistics and research as it bagged numerous awards during the 25th National Student-Faculty Conference (SFCon) and the 2024 Regional Data Festival – South Luzon Cluster (RDaFest-SLC) on 17 to 18 October in Quezon City.
Mr. Allen Kate Terren, a UPLB BS Statistics alumnus and current INSTAT faculty member, was awarded the Best Student Paper in the undergraduate category of the 25th SFCon for his undergraduate research paper on “Factors Affecting the Behavioral Intention in Learning Agricultural Generative Artificial Intelligence among Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Students at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.”
In addition, Glazelle Faye Correa, a UPLB BS Statistics alumna and a current INSTAT faculty member of the institute, won the 2nd Best Student Paper in the undergraduate category for presenting her undergraduate study entitled “Spatial Analysis of Ischemic Heart Disease Mortality in Provinces and NCR Districts in the Philippines.”
Moreover, current BS Statistics students also excelled at the 2024 RDaFest-SLC. Christian Jay Sevilla and JB Balines secured the first and second-place positions in the data reporting contest, while Patrick Josh Atayde and Denchlie Baring claimed the second and third-place awards in the infographics-making contest.
The annual SFCon is a joint initiative of INSTAT, the University of the Philippines Diliman School of Statistics, and the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute that aims to bring together students and faculty to share research, foster collaboration, and advance the field of statistics, ultimately contributing to evidence-based decision-making and sustainable development. For this year, the SFCon was jointly conducted with the 2024 RDaFest-SLC, which included presentations, open discussions, expositions, games, and contests designed to instill appreciation for official statistics and enhance statistical literacy among students and professionals. #
~ Allen Kate G. Terren