The Ministry of Human Settlements and Development of the BARMM coordinated and participated in the SPARTA Online Roadshow held via Zoom and was live streamed on July 07, 2021.

SPARTA is abbreviated from Smarter Philippines Through Data Analytics Research and Development (R&D) Training and Adoption, a project under the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) launched in February 2020, in order to put in place, the necessary online education, research and development mechanisms and infrastructure to not only enable the industry of data science and analytics but also to advance smart governance practices.

In coordination with The Asia Foundation (TAF) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the online roadshow was conducted with the theme ‘Data Science and Analytics in Action’.

The program was formally opened with remarks from Director General (DG) Esmael W. Ebrahim, in which he acknowledged how the challenges of modern technology amidst the pandemic have become more thought provoking.

“(Technology) needs a revolutionary approach and enhancement that suit the needs of a more realistic and innovative system that the SPARTA Project offers”, DG Ebrahim said.

The first keynote message was from Addie T. Unsi, TAF Civil Society Strengthening Specialist through an audio-visual production reviewing Project SPARTA’s 2020 accomplishments that was followed by an orientation on SPARTA from Coursebank’s Instructional Design Lead by Jaclyn M. Sangalang.

A lengthy question and answer segment between the resource speakers and the participants also took place during the activity.

MOST Minister Engr. Aida M. Silongan, MAPD and BPDA DG Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali were then called, respectively, to deliver their final notes and acknowledgements.

The activity formally ended with the closing remarks from Dr. Alan S. Cajes, DAP Vice President and SPARTA Project Lead. Along with the MHSD, also in attendance were representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR), Ministry of Basic Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MIPA), Ministry of Public Order and Safety (MPOS), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism (MTIT), Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) and Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).