PSA Iloilo updates aquaculture farm database

ILOILO CITY — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Iloilo Provincial Statistical Office will conduct the 2026 Updating of List of Aquaculture Farms (ULAF) across Iloilo province and Iloilo City from July 4 to Aug. 7, 2026, to strengthen the country’s fisheries database and improve the quality of official aquaculture statistics.

The nationwide statistical undertaking is expected to provide policymakers, local governments, and the fisheries sector with more reliable and up-to-date information for planning, resource management, and policy formulation. An updated registry of aquaculture farms also helps ensure that government programs, investments, and interventions are based on accurate data, ultimately supporting the sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry and improving food security.

According to the PSA, the updated list will serve as the official sampling frame for its quarterly aquaculture surveys, which generate reliable, timely, and relevant statistics for evidence-based decision-making and sustainable fisheries development.

To prepare for the field operations, the PSA has hired 61 enumerators who will undergo a five-day Provincial Third Level Training at Zuri Hotel Iloilo in Mandurriao before deployment. The training covers survey concepts, interview techniques, operational procedures, data quality standards, and the use of digital data collection tools to ensure accurate, complete, and reliable information gathering.

During the enumeration period, authorized PSA personnel will visit all barangays in Iloilo province and Iloilo City to determine the presence or absence of aquaculture farms. Existing aquaculture farms will also be visited to update their records through interviews with farm owners, operators, hired managers, caretakers, or other authorized respondents.

The PSA called on aquaculture farm owners, operators, hired managers, caretakers, and other stakeholders in the fisheries sector to cooperate by providing complete and accurate information to authorized enumerators. The agency reminded the public that all hired enumerators will carry official PSA identification cards and present them before conducting interviews.

The agency also urged city and municipal governments, barangay officials, fisheries associations, and community leaders to support the field operations by assisting in coordination efforts, informing respondents, and helping enumerators locate aquaculture farms throughout the province and city.

The PSA assured respondents that all information collected during the 2026 ULAF will be kept strictly confidential in accordance with Republic Act No. 10625, or the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013, and Republic Act No. 10173, or the Data Privacy Act of 2012. The agency said all information gathered will be used exclusively for statistical purposes and will not be disclosed in any manner that would identify individual respondents or establishments.

The PSA said the continued support of local government units, barangay officials, aquaculture stakeholders, and the public remains essential to the success of the undertaking. Through the 2026 ULAF, the agency aims to maintain a comprehensive and updated database of aquaculture farms that will serve as the foundation for producing quality fisheries statistics needed for informed decision-making and the sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry.