CEBU CITY – The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Region 7 (Central Visayas) said safety measures will be observed throughout the conduct of survey activities for the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (CPH), especially in areas where there is a high prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) transmission.
Noel Rafols, information officer at PSA-7, said the regional statistics office is deploying more than 11,000 enumerators throughout the region to gather data for the 2020 census starting on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
He urged the public to support and actively participate in the survey activities.
Jessamyn Anne Alcazaren, the statistician of PSA-Bohol, said they will deploy a total of 1,172 enumerators throughout the island, who have been briefed with regard to safety measures against Covid-19 infection.
"We are giving them face masks, face shields, alcohol disinfectants, umbrellas and bags for their questionnaires even as we have instructed them to keep their social distance while gathering the data needed in the survey," she was quoted as saying in a statement.
The CPH was initially scheduled last May but had been moved to September due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to PSA, each household respondent has an average of 15-30 minutes of face-to-face interaction with the enumerators.
Census takers are deemed to cover all the houses in their assigned areas.
The CPH is a nationwide government undertaking that involves the collection, compilation, evaluation, analysis, publication, and dissemination of data on population count, demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population, housing characteristics, household characteristics, and barangay characteristics in each barangay, city or municipality, province, and region in the country.
The census also aims to provide government executives, policymakers and planners with population and housing data on which to base their social and economic development plans, policies, and programs.
The first Philippine census was conducted in 1903.
The 2020 CPH would be the 15th census of population and 7th census of housing in the Philippines. (PNA)
