PSA to conduct 2015 Census of Population in Zambo Norte

By Alfonso T. Ruda

DIPOLOG CITY - The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will conduct the 2015 Census of Population in Zamboanga del Norte this year.

This was disclosed by PSA-9 Regional Director Ronaldo Taghap during the Provincial Census Coordinating Board (PCCB) meeting recently held at the Governor’s Office Conference Room,  Zamboanga del Norte Convention and Exhibition Center (ZNCEC), this city.

Pursuant to Republic Act 10625 series of 2013, The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is mandated to prepare and conduct periodic censuses on population, housing, agriculture, fisheries, business, industry, and other sectors of the economy nationwide.

Zamboanga del Norte Interim Provincial Statistics Officer Ma. Lila Daan, under PSA Board Resolution No. 07, series of 2014, the PSA has been designated as the National Census Coordinating Board (NCCB) for the 2015 Census of Population.

Meanwhile, PSA Board Resolution no. 08 endorses the issuance of Presidential Proclamation declaring the month of August as National Census Month, and PSA Board Resolution No. 09 which determines the composition of the PCCB.

“The census that will be conducted in August 2015 aims to make an inventory of the present population of the province, which previously recorded 987,997 during the last census in last May 2010,” Daan said.

The 2015 Census of Population, which is a complete enumeration of households, is designed primarily to takean inventory of the population of the entire Philippines. It will also collect information such as age, sex, marital status, and highest grade completed.

It aims to provide government executives, policy/decision-makers, and planners with population data, especially updated population count of all barangays in the country, on which to base their social and economic development plans, policies and programs.

“The Provincial PSA office will need 1,287 enumerators to conduct the census,giving priority to the applicants from the barangays where the census will be conducted,” Daan added.

Vice-Governor Senen O. Angeles, who presided the meeting in behalf of Governor Roberto Uyurged all Local Chief Executives of the different Local Government Units in the province to support the said undertaking of PSA.

Daan further assured that the information given to the enumerators will not be used for other purposes.

Section 27 of R.A. 10625 states that a person including parties within the PSA Board, who breach the confidentiality of information, whether by carelessness, improper behavior, behavior with malicious intent , and use of confidential information for profit shall be liable to a fine of P5,000.00 to not more than P10,000.00  and/or imprisonment of three months but not to exceed one year, subject to the degree of breach of information.