Quezon City, Philippines – The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through its Center for Governance (CFG), strengthened the data capabilities of local government units (LGUs) through the 2025 run of Adaptive Governance and Innovation for Local Executives (AGILE) program’s Course on Data-Driven Decision-Making for LGUs, held on 5-7 November 2025 at The B Hotel.
Some 41 officials and key technical staff–including six local chief executives, from 19 LGUs– completed the three-day program. Participants engaged in practical workshops on data visualization and thematic mapping, enabling them to generate actionable insights from local datasets and identify strategic priorities. Course outputs were presented to a panel composed of representatives from the DAP and Philippine Statistics Authority who provided technical feedback.
The course featured resource inputs from Department of Information and Communications Technology Division Chief Delia E. Basada, National Privacy Commission Deputy Privacy Commissioner Atty. Jose Amelito S. Belarmino II, PSA Senior Statistical Specialists Jenny G. Amora and Joemar P. Jerez, and DAP Project Officers Nissa Mariel M. Caderao and Daniel G. Rosero.
In her welcome remarks, DAP-CFG Director Jannis T. Montañez encouraged participants to reflect on how data can be used not only to digitize systems but to uplift lives– particularly in marginalized communities. To offer a practical perspective, the participants visited key facilities in Carmona City, where Mayor Dahlia A. Loyola shared the city’s One Digitized Carmona initiatives and demonstrated how data-driven solutions have improved local governance.
Closing the program, DAP-CFG Vice President Imelda C. Caluen, underscored the importance of robust data governance in building resilient, innovative, and digitally enabled LGUs capable of addressing emerging development challenges.
Ahead of its Metro Manila run, earlier batches of the course were conducted in Cebu City and Balanga City, Bataan. In total, the 2025 program successfully capacitated 122 participants from 55 LGUs strengthening evidence-based governance across the country.