by: DAP

PASIG CITY -- In order 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 conducted by the project in partnership with its program partner, the Analytics Association of the Philippines (AAP). Entitled "SPARTA Pathways: Defining Roles in Analytics," the event aimed to provide a better understanding of the different analytics roles. The series was divided into six online events, all of which were conducted via Zoom and livestreamed via SPARTA and AAP's Facebook pages.

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) on July 7. The event highlighted the importance of DSA in the contemporary world and provided an overview of SPARTA. It also encouraged the citizens of the region to enroll in the project by orienting them on the application process.

SPARTA also participated in online events held by different local government units in the country.
Tuguegarao City and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 2 held an online event and orientation for SPARTA scholars on June 10. The event also enjoined local citizens to become a part of the project and stressed the value of DSA and good governance practices. Valencia City also celebrated the National ICT month on June 25. A brief orientation on SPARTA was conducted during the event and 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 that was signed on June 22.

SPARTA is also conducting its Hackathon and Open Data Challenge. These competitions aim 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. 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. He added 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. (SPARTA-DAP)

 This free site is ad-supported. Learn more
​