NSO holds Consultative Forum in Dipolog for 2012 CAF

By Alfonso T. Ruda

DIPOLOG CITY,SEPT. 26(PIA)---In preparation for the upcoming 2012 Census on Agriculture and Fisheries(CAF), the National Statistics Office (NSO) in Zamboanga del Norte recently conducted a Provincial Consultative Forum here.

The activity was attended by representatives from various agencies of the government, local government units, non-government organizations and people’s organizations.

In her message to the participants, read by Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Statistics Officer, Ma. Lila Daan, NSO-9 OIC Regional Director Dr. Adelaida Cuarte cited the importance of the forum for the participants as stakeholders and partners of NSO as they serve as its link to the people in the community.

“Trough this forum, NSO will be able to relay the importance of the CAF to gather more views, ideas, and issues and concerns from you relative to agriculture and fishing activities and the required facilities and services that the people need in your respective areas and communities,” Cuarte said. 

The forum was conducted to generate additional inputs from the participants which could be possibly incorporated in the drafted sets of questions that would be asked during the survey.

The 2012 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries is a large-scale government undertaking that geared towards the collection and compilation of basic information in the agriculture and fishery sector in the country.

Cuarte said, under Executive Order No. 121(Reorganizing and Strengthening the Philippine Statistical System (PSS) and for Other Purposes)  and Commonwealth Act No. 591, NSO is designated as primary agency tasked to undertake the Census of Agriculture and Fisheries. Furthermore, EO No. 352(Designation of Statistical Activities that will Generate Critical Data for Decision-making of the Government and the Private Sector) provides for the conduct of CAF every ten (10) years.

The data that will be gathered during the survey will be used by our policy makers and planners in formulating plans and programs to the socio-economic development of our country. It will also provide agricultural, aqua-cultural and fishery facilities and services in the barangay.

Meanwhile, the business and industry will use the data gathered in the CAF in making projections on production and planning the quantity and types of commodities to be produced.

Unlike the previous census, the 2012 CAF will use the census modular approach recommended by the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture (WCA) 2010, that is, with a core census module and census supplementary modules on selected themes.

Daan said enumerators, after an extensive orientation and training on the upcoming census, will be visiting all households from February to March 2013. Establishments in agriculture and fisheries will likewise be visited by the census supervisors during the same period. The reference period for the 2012 CAF is from January to December 2012.

The 2012 CAF is the 6^th in a series of decennial agriculture census and the 5^th on the census of fisheries. (JPA/ATR/PIA9-Zambo Norte)