The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Cagayan Valley (DEPDev2) championed data-driven governance in the region through the conduct of Regional Forum on Data-Driven Planning on October 28, 2025 at the Pulsar Hotel Premiere Suites, Buntun, Tuguegarao City. The forum aimed to advocate and equip regional and local planners on the importance of data and statistics in planning.

In his opening message, DEPDev2 Regional Director Dionisio C. Ledres, Jr. encouraged the participants to be proactive in the discussions. “This activity will help in doing your work to plan for the good of the entire region given your role as planners in your respective agencies and institutions. We should work together in achieving our development goals,” he said.

The forum covered topics on Data Presentation and Visualization for Effective Planning; Effective Data Communication for Strategic Decision-Making; the Social Development Goals (SDG) Watch, SDG Regional Pace of Progress; and the Translation of SDG Objectives to Community Impact. The resource persons invited were Ms. Ma. Juvy S. Agbayani and Ms. Mary Jane C. Pepito of the Philippine Statistics Authority, Dr. Florentina S. Dumlao of the Cagayan State University, and Ms. Dyan Marie M. Tambis of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Dr. Roldan C. Bangalan and Dr. Noemi T. Cabaddu of Saint Paul University Philippines (SPUP) Tuguegarao, and Dr. Giged T. Battung of the Cagayan State University also discussed academic researches on the community-level impact of the SDG implementation. Likewise, the city government of Cauayan also shared the city’s efforts towards advancing the SDGs in its locality.

A total of 107 participants from regional line agencies, local government units, private sector representatives, state universities and colleges, and higher education institutions attended the event. The event is part of the culminating activity in celebration of the National Statistics Month this October. DEPDev-DRCAD