UP Cebu holds regional open data forum

Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo

January 30

*Participants to the Open Data for Social Innovation Regional Forum in Cebu, pose for a group photo. Photo from UP Cebu Facebook page.*

Representatives from state universities and colleges, local government units, and other sectors across Central Visayas gathered online and onsite in UP Cebu on January 19 for "Open Data for Social Innovation: SUCs and LGUs Regional Forum."

Organized by UP Cebu together with the UP Open Data Committee, the event showcased open data initiatives, discussed open data's implications on various fields, and encouraged collaboration among academic institutions, government units and agencies, and other stakeholders in Region 7.

Prof. May Anne Mata of the UP Mindanao College of Science and Mathematics talked about "Leveraging Open Data in Improving Public Health Surveillance," pointing out the need for health data that is not only accurate, updated, and consolidated, but readily accessible. These necessary conditions were clearly illuminated during the COVID-19 pandemic where information was paramount in monitoring and managing the spread of disease through medical and other interventions.

*Prof. May Anne Mata of UP Mindanao presenting the findings of their research. Photo from UP Cebu Facebook page.*

In "Health Information Exchange: Gateway to Open Data," meanwhile, Prof. Marbert John Marasigan of the UP Manila College of Arts and Sciences shared public health informatics expert, Dr. Brian Dixon's definition of this exchange as "the electronic transfer of patient-level, health-related data or information across diverse and often competing organizations across the health ecosystem." The country's Universal Health Care Act was the driving force behind the push for the adoption of this exchange network and its interoperability so Filipinos may be provided better health care services, Marasigan said.

Prof. Juancho Arranz Collera of the UP Baguio College of Science then delivered "Researches in Environmental Monitoring and Conservation, and the Cordillera Culture in UP Baguio." It was a discussion on how information they had in those three areas has inspired research, which has been translated to benefit the community. Two of his examples on culture were UP Baguio's Museo Kordilyera and The Cordillera Textiles Project.

Similarly, Asst. Prof. Francis Dimzon of the UP Visayas College of Arts and Sciences, talked about their research that formed the bases of fisheries policies, strategies, and management plans. In addition, his presentation on "Open Data in Fisheries-Related Policies" enumerated existing open datasets such as those of the Philippine Statistics Authority, World Bank, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

"There is no perfect dataset," said Prof. Jomar Rabajante in his talk, "Impact of Open Data on Research Ethics." This was why research data needed to be transparent and accurate, at the same time protective of the subjects of research. Also, while there was freedom to conduct research, there was also the need for accountability for the work. The benefit should be weighed against the cost or harm that may occur in divulging data. Rabajante affirmed that "open data is valuable" and issued a reminder that its benefits must be maximized and its risks, minimized.

*UP Vice President for Legal Affairs Abraham Sarmiento presenting how data is used in the UP College Admission Test. Photo from UP Cebu Facebook page.*

UP Vice President for Legal Affairs Abraham Rey Acosta's "Open Data Legal Framework: How UP Can Help in Data Driven Governance?" stressed that open data "needs to be technically open as well as legally open," meaning data privacy, matters of national security, and privileged communications must be safeguarded. That being said, Acosta said that the UP System is in the process of reviewing its open data policy and invited other academic institutions and government agencies to partner with the University should they need data that UP can provide to help in governance.

Open data is critical for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. That was the point driven by UP Resilience Institute Executive Director Alfredo Mahar Lagmay in his talk, "Resilience and the Open Data Imperative." He cited as an example, the 2006 landslide in Southern Leyte which devasted Barangay Guinsaugon. The GPS differential data requested was given six days too late and what started out as a search and rescue operation for survivors—mostly schoolchildren—became one of search and retrieval. The only survivor found was a rooster. Lagmay asserted that certain datasets need to be open when lives were on the line.

*Prof. Mahar Lagmay giving a talk on how data is used in disaster preparedness. Photo from UP Cebu Facebook page.*

"Data Security and Cybersecurity" was the topic of Engr. Jonathan Victolero, head of the UP Cebu Information Technology Center. He gave measures on how to secure data through "cyber hygiene"—keeping passwords safe and secure, ensuring privacy, using multi-factor authentication, regular backing up of data, and keeping software and firmware updated. Victolero also gave examples of cybersecurity frameworks and models such as the Central Intelligence Agency Triad, McCumber Cube Information Security Model.

Finally, Asst. Prof. Dharyll Prince Abellana of the UP Cebu College of Science presente "Open Data: Opportunities and Challenges." He said the opportunities included creation of richer data sets, collaboration, promotion of efficiency, proper data handling, transparency, and improved decision-making. The challenges, on the hand, were overcoming concerns about sharing data, handling costs associated with making data open, ensuring privacy while maintaining transparency, rapid increase in data creation, difficulty in providing access to everyone, and difficulty in using new tools and technology.

To view the recorded livestream, click here