IS the Filipino population getting bigger?
This will be answered as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced that they will begin a nationwide population census next week.
In line with this, they are reminding that refusal to take part in the data collection is punishable under the law.
According to National Statistician Dennis Mapa, the PSA would start the collection of data for the census of population and the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) on July 15.
He added that there is a need to participate as the government needs to kow the number of household members, in order to update the country’s population count.
“Failure to participate or provide accurate information may result in penalties as outlined in Republic Act 10625. That’s the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013,” he said.
Likewise Mapa said that individuals who failed to cooperate with the required statistical may be slapped with a one-year imprisonment and a fine of P100,000.
This will involve data that will be used for the planning and program implementation at the local level, there will be a data consent form for individuals to indicate their willingness to participate.
“Of course, we are really encouraging everyone to participate,” Mapa said.
He said the government has allocated P5.2 billion for the data collection that involves the deployment of at least 70,000 enumerators across the country to visit an estimated 27 million households from July 15 until Sept. 15 of this year.
To determine legitimate enumerators, they will be wearing a shirt with the PSA logo and their IDs with the agency. It is expected to take some 45 minutes, with household heads to be asked about the names, ages and places of work of individuals in their homes.
Based on the last census conducted in 2020, the country’s population count is at 109 million.
Banner photo courtesy of: PNA