SPARTA’s advocacy for a data-driven Philippines continues

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IN PHOTOS: (Left) Forum with LGU of Tuguegarao towards Smart City, (Right) SPARTA Online Roadshow

Pasig City, July 21 – To continue fostering the data science and analytics (DSA) ecosystem in the Philippines, Project Smarter Philippines through Data Analytics R&D, Training and Adoption (SPARTA) held and actively participated in several online events from April to July 2021 to impart the value of DSA in the country. 

The first among these is the series of roadshows, divided into six online events, entitled “SPARTA Pathways: Defining Roles in Analytics” which aimed to provide a better understanding of the different analytics roles. The series was conducted via Zoom by the project in partnership with its program partner, the Analytics Association of the Philippines (AAP), and livestreamed via SPARTA and AAP’s Facebook pages.  

On July 7, another roadshow was conducted by the project, in collaboration with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (BARMM-MSHD) and The Asia Foundation (TAF), which highlighted the importance of DSA in the contemporary world and provided an overview of SPARTA. It also encouraged the citizens to enroll in the project by orienting them on the application process. 

SPARTA has also participated in several online events held by different local government units in the country. An online event and orientation for SPARTA scholars were held by Tuguegarao City and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 2 last June 10. The event enjoined local citizens to become a part of the project and stressed the value of DSA and good governance practices. A brief orientation on SPARTA was also conducted during the celebration of the National ICT month by Valencia City last June 25. An open forum was held to allow current and prospective scholars to clarify their questions about the project. 

Aside from these, the project engaged in other activities such as Spring Rain Global’s Philanthropic Development Office (PDO) Bootcamp on May 20, DOST-PCIEERD’s Tik Tok TechTalk on the importance of data science in the Philippines on May 27, and Philippine Futures Thinking Society’s program on open data and freedom of information on June 26. SPARTA has also recently welcomed its 18th institutional partner, the Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU), through a Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 22. 

SPARTA is also conducting its Hackathon and Open Data Challenge which aims to solicit data-driven ideas and solutions to some of the most pressing issues in the country. The first leg of the challenges focusing on Butuan City is currently ongoing. The registration period is extended until August 15 and entries will be accepted until September 15. 

“We are really keen on organizing and participating in these DSA events because we believe that by doing so, we are fulfilling our mandate to upskill our workforce and promote data-driven governance practices,” SPARTA Deputy Manager and Events Component Lead Nikko Visperas stated in an interview, adding that the SPARTA project team believes that a vibrant DSA ecosystem is on the horizon as more Filipinos continue to realize the importance of analytics through their participation in the project and other data-related initiatives.