Envisioning PMI Philippines: The ASCEND Planning Session for 2012

The Asian Centre for Enterprise Development (ASCEND), research arm of the Philippine Institute for Supply Management (PISM) in releasing the monthly PMI Philippines data, had its first annual corporate planning session at Conti’s Restaurant in Makati City, last December 19, 2011. The session was attended by the ASCEND team members headed by CEO & President Dr. Nick Fontanilla and Legal Counsel Atty. Rodrigo Celicious.

The ASCEND team presented the current situation, targets and plans of action for different projects including PMI Philippines, the flagship project of ASCEND since its inception early this year.

PMI Philippines has been running for close to four years now. It was well-received in its past three years of implementation. Next year, ASCEND is undertaking the challenge to improve the project in terms of operations, methodology, marketing and PR.

As presented by Ms. Angelica Basada, Statistician/Analyst of ASCEND, PMI plans to venture in a multi-methodological set-up starting in 2012. She discussed the benefits of going multi-methodology in data collection. She presented the following methodologies to be used as standard for PMI Philippines next year: Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI), Computer-Assisted Web Interviews (CAWI), Mobile Phone and E-mail. This combination of research methodologies has been proven to be an effective methodology for data collection. Optimizing the CAWI to invite online responses especially for outside NCR respondents is a primary target for PMI next year. This ensures that the PMI operation is sustainable by maximizing accuracy and reliability of data collection while minimizing cost.

Information is the new gold as they say in this modern age. Database is an intangible asset that companies around the world are now maximizing for increased business opportunities. To get there, effective database management must be implemented in 2012 for PMI to become successful in data collection and marketing. Plans for database management were discussed by Ms. Maria Edrina Rebagay, Database Management Assistant of ASCEND. She proposed a new system of managing the database for research and marketing purposes. It entails the active updating of the database every month and systematic folder system for database files. It also requires a disciplined monitoring and reporting of the database every month. This ensures the smooth sailing of PMI operation next year.

PMI is a good product. Dr. Fontanilla always mentions this during the corporate meetings of the ASCEND team. Without consistent marketing campaigns for PMI, there is no value added in conducting this every month. As a much-needed support, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) has already signed for an initial three-month platinum sponsorship to PMI Philippines before the beginning of 2012. Schedule of the PMI November & December 2011 presentation is already in the ASCEND pipeline for January of next year.

On the other hand, a more intensive marketing campaign for PMI Philippines, Ms. Johnlery Rico presented a roster of activities targeted for 2012 in soliciting interest for subscription and sponsorship among target stakeholders. She discussed the current status of subscription and sponsorship accounts for 2011. She also presented the target clients for 2012. She defined the following as the primary stakeholders of the PMI data: the PMI Philippines panel members, PISM members, top corporations in the Philippines, government economic and financial institutions, private banks and financial institutions, academic institutions and the media. For each stakeholder, there is corresponding roster of marketing activities such as e-mail marketing campaigns, telephone marketing follow-ups, economic briefings, media exposure campaigns etc.

The planning session served as a productive exchange of ideas and insights for the incoming year. All of the targets and plan of actions presented gives PMI Philippines a bright future. However, hard work, patience and discipline in implementing all of these post a challenge for everyone in the ASCEND team to do better next year.

Stephanie Manacop

Research Executive, ASCEND

How PMI Helps Executives

How do subscribers and readers of PMI make use of the economic foresight presented in the PMI each month?

Our researchers are put to task by subscribers and readers when ever they miss receiving the reports on the expected release date. There are many reasons why the report does not get to the subscribers and readers on time. These include changed email address, internal email filters, and lapsed subscription.

This keen interest on the PMI made the editorial team take a close look at how subscribers and readers make use of the PMI -- month after month. Each month, our research team asks respondents how they have used the PMI.

The chart above shows how PMI subscribers and readers make use of the PMI. Three-fourths (75%) of subscribers and readers use the PMI as a management reference. Close to one-fifth (17%) use the PMI for decision. Interestingly, this percentage has been growing month after month. Those who indicated that they have not used the PMI are actually new subscribers and readers and have yet to see the report.

(The Purchasing Managers' Index Philippines is published by The Asian Centre for Enterprise Development with the permission of the Philippine Institute for Supply Management and its advocacy arm Foundation for the Society of Fellows in Supply Management. For comments, email the editorial team to abfontanilla@yahoo.com)

THIS IS HOW IT WORKS: PMI Philippines: Methodology

In the past 3 years, PMI Philippines developed its ability as a reliable and accurate leading economic indicator of the official data that are published every month. It produces results using the same methodologies around the world in which the Philippine Institute for Supply Management became a vehicle.

Using the pattern, PMI Philippines followed a step-wise approach: First, the ASCEND, a research arm of PISM selects the directory of the Top 8, 000 and Top 12, 000 corporations in Philippines. Second, this will be used to identify the top manufacturing, Retail/Wholesale and Services Companies. Third, using the IBM-SPSS, 1,300 panels composed of 600 Manufacturing companies, 300 Retailers and Wholesalers and 400 Service Companies were randomly selected to create the panel of respondents for each respective survey.

On the other hand, PMI Philippines uses data collection methods in conducting the survey such as CATI (Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing), CAWI (Computer Aided Web Interviewing) and Multi- media (a combination of cellular phone, fax and other medium). In present time, researchers are still looking for the best method in making the survey more effective in reaching their target respondents. It works complicated as what we believe but in the long run, you will realize that the only thing that you need to do is to make it reliable, which is far from biases.

To learn more about this: visit our website and discover PMI. www.pmiphilippines.com.

Johnlery C. Rico, Research Assistant
Maria Edrina C. Rebagay, Database Management Assistant

Philippines: One of 32 Countries With PMI

It took extraordinary efforts by the Philippine Institute for Supply Management (PISM), its advocacy arm the Foundation for the Society of Fellows in Supply Management (SOFSM), and its research partner The Asian Centre for Enterprise Development (Ascend) to mount the Purchasing Manager's Index in the Philippines. The Philippines is now one of seven Asian countries and one of 32 countries in the world where the Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) is available.

On recommendation by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Markit, a French consulting firm, PISM, together with SOFSM and research consultant Nick Fontanilla, conducted a pilot test in April 2007. After a series of consultations and planning, the group conducted the first monthly PMI manufacturing survey in July 2008. This was followed by PMI Retail/Wholesale in April 2009 and by PMI Services in 2009. PMI manufacturing is now on its 41st monthly run, PMI Retail/Wholesale on its 32nd monthly run and PMI Services on its 14th monthly run.

The PMI is a leading economic indicator. It provides timely information to decision makers regarding the conditions of the economy each month, whether it expanded or contracted as compared to the previous month. It also provides a foresight on whether the economy next month will expand or contract.

Starting this month, we will present some highlights of the Purchasing Manager's Index and how it competently predicts the conditions in the economy month to month. We will also provide some details on how PMI Philippines is conducted -- the methodology and the available reports.

For details on the PMI, see www.pmiphilippines.com or email to abfontanilla@yahoo.com.

(This blog is operated and maintained by Ascend, Inc. The editorial and writing team includes Angelica Basada, Stephanie Manacop, Johnlery Rico and Edrina Rebagay. Managing Editor is Nick Fontanilla)

PMI Philippines Now in Blogspot!

The Purchasing Managers' Index Philippines is now in blogspot. Operated and updated by The Asian Centre for Enterprise Development (ASCEND Inc.), the research arm of the project, this blog aims to reach economic enthusiast and to broadcast economic news for the greater public. We will post news, latest economic updates, seminars, and activities relevant to the development of economic research.

For your information, the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) Philippines is an index which measures the monthly economic performance of the Philippine Economy through three indices: Manufacturing, Retail and Wholesale, and Services.


PMI data are produced very rapidly and released monthly, covering a significant part of our economic activity. The PMI Provides economic policy makers with high quality, timely, and internationally compatible economic data for strategic planning and decision making.


With an economy that is so volatile and uncertain, a monthly updated data will definitely be of use for decision making, business planning, and economic understanding. We hope that you find a monthly updated economic indicator can help you for your future purposes.

-- ANGELICA BASADA | Statistician/Analyst (ASCEND)