PSA-Aklan survey spotlights unpaid care work

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KALIBO, Aklan — Unpaid care and domestic work have taken center stage in a Philippine Statistics Authority survey now being conducted in selected households in Aklan.

The PSA said the survey seeks to recognize and value household chores and caregiving for children, older people, and other family members, even when the work is unpaid.

The data gathering covers unpaid care and domestic work rendered to household and family members to ensure that all work, whether paid or unpaid, is properly recognized and valued.

The PSA said the results will help assess the equitable redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work between women and men in households.

The agency said the findings will also support the country’s commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals and help guide the formulation of gender-responsive laws and policies.

Engr. Antonet B. Catubuan said the survey is essential because it will help guide the government in designing programs, public services, infrastructure, and social protection measures.

She added that the results will also serve as a reference in determining appropriate wages for domestic services and in implementing social programs.

“Work at home is often underestimated and seen as having no value. However, it forms a significant part of how society functions. That is why there is a need to collect data to determine its impact on the economy and identify interventions that can improve labor productivity and promote gender equality,” Engr. Catubuan explained.

The survey covers a wide range of unpaid domestic activities, including food and meal planning and preparation, cleaning and maintenance of the home and its surroundings, do-it-yourself decoration, maintenance and repair, care of textiles and footwear, household management for personal use, pet care, shopping for household and family needs, and transporting or accompanying goods or persons related to unpaid domestic services.

It also includes unpaid caregiving and subsistence activities such as farming and the production of animal products for personal use, growing crops and maintaining kitchen gardens, fetching water and fuel for household use, childcare and instruction, care for dependent adults, assistance to non-dependent household and family members, and transporting or accompanying persons related to unpaid caregiving services.

Information is being collected from household members ages 15 and older.

The survey focuses on the time spent on each activity during the past seven days.

The PSA said the survey adopts the 2016 International Classification of Activities for Time-Use Statistics.

The framework is used to classify how people use their time and to better understand work beyond formal employment.

Time-use data are widely used by governments and statistical agencies to measure unpaid labor that often falls outside traditional economic indicators.

The PSA said the survey could help provide a clearer picture of how unpaid work supports households, communities, and the broader economy.