The Provincial Statistics Committee (PSC) convened its Second Quarter Meeting for Calendar Year 2026 on June 2, 2026, at the Conference Hall of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO), bringing together national government agencies and stakeholders to present key statistical updates and development indicators.
The meeting was presided over by PSC Chairperson Atty. John Titus Vistal, who expressed appreciation to participating agencies for their continued commitment to strengthening data-driven planning and decision-making in Bohol.
Reports were delivered by the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO), the Philippine Coast Guard-Bohol (PCG-Bohol), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), including updates on National ID authentication services.
PCPT Edcel Petecio, Assistant Unit Chief of the Provincial Police Plans and Programs Unit, presented comparative crime statistics highlighting improved peace and order conditions in the province from January to May 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
Petecio reported that total peace and order-related incidents declined from 1,350 cases in 2025 to 999 in 2026, reflecting a reduction of 351 incidents or 26 percent.
Public safety indicators also decreased from 1,554 to 1,423 cases, an 8.43 percent decrease, indicating fewer vehicular accidents and related incidents.
Index crimes recorded a significant downward trend, dropping from 429 cases in 2025 to 221 in 2026, or a 48.61 percent reduction.
Petecio attributed the improvement to intensified police visibility, strengthened law enforcement operations, and sustained community engagement programs across the province.
Gender-based violence cases handled by the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) likewise showed a downward trend, decreasing from 221 cases in 2025 to 136 in 2026.
BPPO maintained a 100 percent crime clearance efficiency, while crime solution efficiency declined from 58.82 percent to 36.33 percent.
Authorities explained that while cases were cleared and filed in court, final resolution depends on ongoing judicial processes, including arrest and conviction stages.
Lt. JG Kurt Daryl Aplal, Commander of Coast Guard Station Eastern Bohol, presented its mandated maritime functions on safety, environmental protection, search and rescue, maritime security, and law enforcement.
The Coast Guard Station Eastern Bohol covers 12 municipalities through 11 stations with 102 personnel, while the western sector covers 15 municipalities through substations from Dimiao to Getafe with 120 personnel.
Meanwhile, PSA Vice Chairperson and Chief Statistical Specialist Jessamyn Anne Alcazaren presented the 2023 City- and Municipal-Level Poverty Estimates in Bohol using the Small Area Estimation (SAE) methodology.
She reported that 25 municipalities and Tagbilaran City, representing 54.2 percent of LGUs in Bohol, recorded poverty incidence rates of 20 percent or below in 2023, while 22 municipalities posted rates between 20.1 and 40 percent.
No LGU exceeded 40 percent, reflecting improved poverty distribution.
The 2023 per capita poverty threshold in Bohol was estimated at P30,981 or P2,581.75 monthly. Corella recorded the lowest poverty incidence at 9.8 percent, while Danao and President Carlos P. Garcia posted the highest at 26.5 percent.
Lila moved from Level 1 classification in 2021 to Level 2 in 2023, while Dauis, Panglao, and Loay posted higher poverty incidence compared to 2021.
Alcazaren also discussed the PSA E-Certificate Service, which provides secure digital copies of civil registry documents, including birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as Certificates of No Marriage (CENOMAR) and Certificates of No Death (CENODEATH), delivered through secure online access links.
Gembert De la Peña, National ID Registration Officer II of the PSA, presented updates on National ID Authentication Services, including National ID Check and eVerify, which allow real-time verification of National ID credentials through QR code scanning and secure matching against the PhilSys registry, strengthening identity validation and reducing fraud risks.
The PSC meeting underscored the importance of reliable statistics in guiding policy formulation, improving public service delivery, and advancing development goals in the province, anchored with the Capitol’s Strategic Governance Roadmap.
Through data-driven governance, the Provincial Government of Bohol remains committed to digital transformation and inclusive and sustainable development across all sectors in the province, a UNESCO Global Geopark. (PIMO/MFM)
