Zamboanga City (PIA) – The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is calling for public cooperation as it prepares to conduct the 2024 Census of Population and Community-Based Monitoring System (POPCEN-CBMS).
POPCEN-CBMS is a nationwide initiative designed to enhance the effectiveness of government resources by obtaining up-to-date data from local communities and barangays. The census will deploy 70,000 enumerators to survey every Filipino household from July 15 to September 15, 2024.
PSA-9 Regional Director Mewchun WS Pamaran emphasized the importance of POPCEN-CBMS in gathering comprehensive data crucial for transparency, accessibility, and public engagement. The data collected will cover various themes, including health, education, employment, and housing, which are essential for community building.
“The main objective of this activity is to provide government officials, policymakers, and planners with an updated collection of data across all barangays nationwide,” Pamaran stated during the regional press launch for POPCEN-CBMS on July 15.
Pamaran urged the public to actively participate by providing accurate information, assuring that all personal information collected is protected under the Data Privacy Act of 2012. Authorized survey enumerators will wear prescribed uniforms and identification cards certifying their affiliation with the PSA. Enumerators are strictly prohibited from requesting private information such as bank details, offering paid services, or asking for money.
The PSA highlighted that the data collected will be used for planning, formulating, and implementing programs and projects. This data will also update the country’s population information and identify beneficiaries for social protection initiatives. Additionally, it will serve as a basis for targeting households focused on poverty reduction and the expected results or the count will be released on December 22, 2024.
Key government agencies, including the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Philippine Information Agency (PIA), have shown their unwavering support for this collaborative effort.
The success of the 2024 population census hinges on the active cooperation of the public, ensuring that accurate and comprehensive data can be gathered to aid in the nation’s development and community welfare. (EDT/MLE/DBE-GIP/PIA9-Zamboanga City)
