PSA-7 Urges Public to Cooperate in 2015 Population Census

The Philippine Statistics Office (PSA)-Region 7 has urged the public to cooperate with enumerators as they start the survey for the 2015 Census on Population (POPCEN 2015) on August 10 until the first week of September this year.

Firmo Diputado, statistics head of Cebu, appealed to the public, especially those living in high-end subdivisions, to allow census enumerators to interview them.

The POPCEN 2015 aims to provide government executives, policy and decision makers and planners with population data, especially an updated population count of all barangays in the country, which would be their basis for social and economic development plans, policies and programs.

Noel Rafols, PSA 7 information officer, said it would only take 15 to 20 minutes for household owners or members to answer basic questions.

Rafols said part of this year census are the religion, barangay characteristics, death among members of the household two years prior to the census, selected housing characteristics and demographic and socio-economic characteristics.

“Rest assured that the survey will be treated with confidentiality,” Rafols said.

Section 26 of Republic Act No. 10625 or the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013 states that individual data furnished by a respondent to statistical inquiries, surveys and censuses of the PSA shall be considered privilege information and shall be inadmissible in any proceedings.

This year’s POPCEN will be the 14th census of population to be undertaken in the country since the first census in 1903. (PNA) LAP/EB/RSM