ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The
National Statistics Office (NSO) in Basilan sought the support and cooperation
of stakeholders, especially those who are involved in activities relative to
agriculture and fisheries for the conduct of Census of Agriculture and
Fisheries (CAF) next year.
In a consultative forum last week (Sept 12),
Provincial Statistics Officer Engr. Naser S. Usman disclosed that the NSO will
be conducting the census purposely to come up with updated basic statistics on
the two essential sectors of our society—agriculture and fisheries.
“We are very optimistic that with your
attendance, participation and active involvement, we shall have a very fruitful
sharing of ideas and inputs which will be of paramount importance for us to
have a very successful conduct of the 2012 census of agriculture and
fisheries,” he told participants.
Some forty-three participants coming from
government, non-government, and people’s organizations attended the forum.
Usman has encouraged organizations to partner
with the NSO in the conduct of the said census in order to enhance the level of
receptiveness and cooperation of the people towards the census.
He said that some activities could be
initiated by the organization, like undertake publicity and information drive
among members of their respective organizations and clients and or
beneficiaries through announcements of the conduct of the 2012 CAF in
organization-sponsored forum, mobilize local leaders to explain the importance
of the census and the need for the cooperation of the public, and sponsor local
census awareness events for farmers, fishermen and other persons engaged in
agriculture and fisheries.
Usman admitted that the agency was allocated
with limited funds to conduct the census, but assured the public that the data
to be gathered out of the census will still be reliable, accurate, and will
speak of the state of the countries’ agriculture and fisheries sector.
Dr. Adelaida S. Cuarte, NSO-IX OIC Regional
Director, insisted on the reliability of their census on CAF, saying that hired
enumerators will be trained and that all barangays will be involved, thus this
forum is conducted.
“As an agriculture country, data and
information needs of economic development planners and policy makers can be
provided by the results of the census,” she explained, adding that up-to-date
information about the sector shall enable policy makers to respond to the challenges
and opportunities prevailing in the sector.
Provincial Statistician Pedro P. Baradi Jr.
presented the data items, possible questions, and categories of the 2012 CAF.
He explained that the 2012 CAF will use the
census modular approach recommended by World Programme for the Census of
Agriculture (WCA) 2010, that is, with a core census module and census
supplementary modules on selected themes. The 2012 CAF will also have a
barangay module.
Baradi said the said census hopes to
determine the structural characteristics of agriculture and fishery sectors.
The data collected will also provide sampling frame for the conduct of census
supplementary modules on irrigation and cropping pattern, livestock and
poultry, aquaculture and fisheries, and other statistical undertakings.
He announced that all households will be
visited by census enumerators between February and March 2013. Establishments
in agriculture and fisheries will likewise be visited by census supervisors
during the same period. The reference period for the 2012 CAF, he said, is
January to December 2012.
The NSO April 2012 Labor Force Survey reveals
that agriculture remains as an important sector of the economy as it provided
33 percent of the total employment. The NSO Foreign Trade Statistics show that
the total agro-based products accounted for 7.1 percent of the total exports of
the Philippines in April 2012. And that about 12.5 percent of the gross
domestic product in the first quarter of 2012 came from the agriculture,
hunting, fishery and forestry industries (NSCB, 1st Quarter 2012
National Accounts).