From Left to Right: (1) PSA RSSO II Motorcade at Tuguegarao City; (2) Fr. Joshua Balilinan officiating the thanksgiving mass for PSA RSSO II; (3) RD Bayucan (in purple shirt) together with invited dignitaries cutting the ribbon for the opening of PSA @10 exhibit; (4) OIC-RED Aquino delivering her keynote speech. (5) OIC-RD Bayucan delivering his anniversary message.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), an event under the banner of PSARSSO2 was launched on September 1, 2023, at Robinsons Place, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. The month-long celebration kicked off with an exhibit displaying the significant accomplishments of the PSA in the Cagayan Valley Region over the past decade.

About 80 participants from Regional Line Agencies (RLAs) and other stakeholders attended the kick-off ceremony. The event started with a motorcade, which started at St. Claire Monastery (OSC), Iguig, Cagayan, and ended at Robinsons Place, Tuguegarao. Following the motorcade, a thanksgiving Mass was celebrated, led by Father Joshua Ballinan.

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting was led by Engr. Girme M. Bayucan, Officer-in-Charge of PSA RSSO II, Dir. Rose Mary G. Aquino, OIC- Regional Executive Director of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office No. 2 (DA-RFO2), Col. Rodelio Samson, Chief of Regional Staff of the Philippine National Police, Police Regional Office 2 (PNP-PRO2), Regional Director Teresita Soriano of the Commission on Population and Development, and Ms. Eva Lynne Marcos, Area Director of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

In a short program following the ribbon cutting, OIC Bayucan reflected on the past decade of the PSA. He pointed out that the journey was not an easy one, with numerous trials and challenges along the way, particularly during the merger of the four statistical agencies. However, he praised the collective efforts and wisdom of the personnel for facing and overcoming each challenge. Bayucan also highlighted some of the notable achievements of PSA RSSO II, emphasizing that these are not endpoints, but steppingstones towards a future filled with potential. “In celebrating the achievements of the PSA, it is crucial to acknowledge the individuals who made it all possible. Our dedicated staff, employees, stakeholders, partners, and collaborators have been the driving force behind the PSA’s success,” RD Bayucan shared.

OIC-RED Aquino, in her keynote speech, congratulated the PSA and acknowledged the agency's significant role in the development of the Agriculture and Fishery Sector in the country. She praised the PSA for providing timely and relevant statistics and agricultural trends to the Department of Agriculture, helping them to achieve their goals and mandates. Aquino also underlined the importance of this year's theme, "PSA @10: Providing Quality Service through Digital Transformation", stating that it reflects the agency's goal of achieving excellence in its services. She ended her speech with a promise that the DA would provide assistance concerning the PSA's limited workforce, stating, "The DA will consider human resource complements and other logistics to aid in fieldwork for updating the region's agri-fishery-related statistics."

As part of the month-long anniversary, the PSA set up a kiosk for PhilSys Registration and EphilID issuance, as well as assistance for the release of CR Documents such as birth, marriage, and death certificates.

The exhibit, showcasing the accomplishments of the PSA, will remain on display at Robinsons Place, Tuguegarao, until September 13, 2023. This date marks the anniversary of the signing into law of the PSA by the then President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III on September 13, 2013.

ENGR. GIRME M. BAYUCAN
Officer-in-charge, PSA RSSO II

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