QUEZON CITY (PIA) – In an effort to ensure that government resources match the actual number of people, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced a kick-off for this year’s population census.
Dubbed the 2024 Census of Population and Community-Based Monitoring System (POPCEN-CBMS), the PSA hinted at deploying at least 70,000 enumerators across the country to administer the actual count of residents in each of the 17 regions, 82 provinces, 144 cities, 1,498 municipalities, and over 42,000 barangays across the country.
According to PSA, POPCEN-CBMS is an integral part of the government’s thrust, designed to make an updated list of beneficiaries of the national government’s social protection programs.
PSA National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Dennis Mapa emphasized the significance of expediting the process of statistical activities towards ensuring that the programs and services of the government will effectively reach the grassroots.
“The 2024 POPCEN-CBMS is one of PSA’s greatest contributions to the Philippines. Data derived from this activity will serve as our nation’s driving force, fueling the government’s social and economic development plans, policies, and programs that would benefit every Filipino,” said Mapa in the national press launch of the 2024 POPCEN-CBMS.
“It’s a cost-efficient strategy, and we, at the PSA, remain committed to our mission to deliver relevant and reliable statistics to our clients and stakeholders,” he added.
The population census will cover all barangays in every city and municipality nationwide to enumerate households, housing units, and institutional living quarters (ILQs).
The PSA, meanwhile, expressed its commitment to enumerate the homeless and households in temporary housing units or evacuation shelters, including Filipinos residing in Philippine embassies, missions, and consulates abroad.
Scope and coverage of the POPCEN-CBMS
- Filipino nationals permanently residing in the Philippines;
- Filipino nationals who were temporarily away within the Philippine Sea and abroad but expected to return within 6 months;
- Filipino nations that were temporarily away abroad but expected to return within one year;
- Filipino overseas workers who were away but expected to return within 5 years;
- Philippine government officials, both military and civilian, including diplomatic personnel and their families assigned abroad; and
- Civilian citizens of foreign countries who had stayed or were expected to stay for at least a year from the date of their arrival in the Philippines.
Aside from the actual population count, the POPCEN-CBMS also serves as a tool to gather data on the demographic profile and socio-economic characteristics of Filipino households.
The conduct of the population census is the PSA’s direct response to the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to determine the updated list of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, one of the government’s poverty reduction programs under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The enumeration period of the POPCEN-CBMS will start on July 15, 2024 until September 16, 2024. (JMP/PIA-NCR)
