Public told to cooperate in POPCEN-CBMS census

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has called on households to cooperate and provide accurate information for the 2024 Census of Population and Community-Based Monitoring System (2024 POPCEN-CBMS).

The 2024 POPCEN-CBMS enumeration period will commence today, July 15, and is expected to conclude on September 16, 2024. A regional launch of the census was conducted by PSA-6 on Friday.

Nelida Amolar, PSA-6 officer-in-charge regional director, stated that the POPCEN is a complete enumeration of households and institutional living quarters in the country, designed to take an inventory of the total population.

Meanwhile, the CBMS is an organized technology-based system for collecting, processing, and validating necessary disaggregated data that may be used for planning, program implementation, and impact monitoring.

“The simultaneous conduct of the two PSA-led statistical activities aims to capture a holistic understanding of our population and their needs, serving as a crucial data source for policymakers, planners, and decision-makers,” Amolar explained.

Amolar emphasized that individuals’ failure or refusal to provide accurate information may result in penalties outlined in Republic Act (RA) 10625, or the “Philippine Statistical Act of 2013.”

Under Rule 30 of RA 10625, persons who do not answer the statistics interview truthfully may face penalties of one year of imprisonment and a fine of P100,000.

“It is imperative for respondents to understand that their responses are vital in informing government policies, programs, and resource allocation decisions,” she emphasized.

PSA-6 reported that a total of 6,388 enumerators will conduct house-to-house interviews across various barangays in Western Visayas.

The enumerators will be distributed as follows: 618 in Aklan, 395 in Antique, 704 in Capiz, 175 in Guimaras, 1,829 in Iloilo Province, 1,993 in Negros Occidental, 333 in Iloilo City, and 405 in Bacolod City.

The PSA has allocated funds to hire enumerators in the provinces of Aklan, Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, and Capiz.

Meanwhile, the local government units of highly urbanized areas such as Iloilo City and Bacolod City will be responsible for funding the hiring of enumerators.

Amolar mentioned that the enumerators will collect data in the field, requiring responses to 120 data items.