Welcome census takers into homes, Filipinos told
Census enumerators wearing ID cards bearing the signature of national statistician Lisa Grace S. Bersales will visit households as well as institutional living quarters across the country for the mid-decade population census, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The PSA enjoined Filipinos to welcome in their homes its “friendly” personnel, saying that the public’s cooperation would ensure the survey’s success.
“About 90,000 friendly enumerators will ask basic information about the household members or residents, such as their age, sex, marital status, religious affiliation, highest educational attainment and usual activity and occupation. The interview will take 15 to 30 minutes,” the PSA said.
President Aquino earlier issued Proclamation No. 1031, declaring August 2015 National Census Month.
In the provinces, the activity would end by Sept. 6, while in large cities, it may be extended until the end of September, the PSA said.
“The population count by province, city, municipality and barangay will be submitted to the Office of the President for proclamation as official census counts in January 2016,” while other detailed data would be released on a staggered basis beginning the fourth quarter of next year, the PSA said.
This year’s population census will be the 14th since the first one conducted in 1903.
The PSA ensured the confidentiality of all the information collated from the survey.
“The PSA will release data gathered from the undertaking only in the form of summaries or statistical tables. As such, no information about an individual or institution will be revealed,” it said.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the 2015 population census “is significant to us all in government.”
“Accurate and reliable statistical data and evidence are crucial in determining how best to allocate limited resources. We in government rely on these to ensure that the policy decisions and actions we make truly respond to the people’s needs,” said Balisacan, who is also director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).
“The census is particularly useful for development planning from the national to local levels, for investment programming, and for targeting beneficiaries of social services such as health, education, housing and social protection,” he said.
Important input
Ahead of next year’s elections, the Neda chief said the census “is an important input for political exercises, as the formation of congressional districts and cities depend partly on population count.”
“It is also a basis for determining the amounts to be allocated for local government units. Even businesses and industries will also find the census data useful for identifying sites for establishing their businesses, determining consumer demand for various goods and services, and improving labor supply,” Balisacan said.
The Neda chief pointed out that data is vital for development.
“Throughout my professional career, both in academe and in government, I have seen the power that high-quality data can lend to the formulation of public policies that affect millions of lives. Household-level statistics, including those generated from the census of population, have been important inputs to the design and implementation of poverty reduction programs and projects such as the Pantawid Pamilya program, and the National Health Insurance program,” Balisacan said.
