MANILA, Philippines — A nationwide comprehensive population census is scheduled to begin next week, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Public awareness has been raised by the PSA on the importance of participating in this data collection effort and the potential legal consequences of noncompliance.
The PSA will begin collecting data for the population census and the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) on July 15, according to a press conference held by National Statistician Dennis Mapa.
Taking part in the census is essential because it provides the government with the number of household members it needs to update its population count for the nation.
The Philippine Statistical Act of 2013, Republic Act 10625, stipulates that “non-participation or providing inaccurate information can lead to penalties,” according to Mapa. He emphasized that anyone who refuse to comply with statistical requests could be fined P100,000 and imprisoned for a maximum of one year.
People will be required to sign a consent form stating their willingness to participate in the CBMS, which collects data for local-level planning and program execution.
“We strongly encourage everyone to take part,” Mapa added.
Over 70,000 enumerators will be sent out nationwide as part of the P5.2 billion that the government has set up for the data collection project. Between July 15 and September 15 of this year, these enumerators are scheduled to visit almost 27 million houses.
Names, ages, and places of employment of those residing in households will be requested during 45-minute surveys by enumerators, who will be easily recognized by their IDs and shirts bearing the PSA emblem. The Data Privacy Act will be adhered to throughout the data collection process, guaranteeing that the information obtained is only utilized for developing government programs.
According to Mapa, combining the CBMS with the population census is thought to be a cost-effective strategy. Updating the nation’s population inventory and determining who qualifies for government social assistance programs will depend heavily on the data gathered. It will also be the foundation for identifying households for projects and programs aimed at reducing poverty.
By December of this year, the nation should have updated population statistics. There were 109 million people living in the country as of the 2020 census.
