The Regional Census Coordinating Board  (RCCB) XII  appealed to member-agencies  to support   the  conduct of the Census of Population (POPCEN)  in  August  this  year.

The RCCB XII  convened member-agencies last  April  22    for  the orientation on the legal basis for the conduct of 2015  POPCEN and the data items to be included in this year’s census taking.

At   the  orientation,  the  roles and responsibilities  of these agencies as specified in Board Resolution No. 07-2014 of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) were also discussed.

Regional Director Arturo G. Valero of the NEDA Regional Office (NRO) XII, who serves as the Chairperson of RCCB XII, presided over the   meeting  held at the  Viajera Dine and Café in Koronadal City

At the said meeting, RD Valero solicited the support and commitment of the member-agencies, including the private sectors in the successful conduct of the census in August.  “Your respective agencies may provide support in terms of coordination, publicity and information campaign, communication, security, health services and other logistic support for the census taking,” RD Valero remarked.

He  also  requested  the agency heads  to  support  the conduct of training, accommodation and transportation of the enumerators and  supervisors to be hired for the said event.

As provided for in Annex A of PSA Board Resolution No. 9-2014, the composition of RCCB may be expanded to include other representatives from government line agencies/bureaus and the private sector, as may be deemed necessary by the Board.

To  enhance partnership between the private sector and the government in the conduct of POPCEN 2015, RCCB XII passed Resolution No. 2-2015, approving the inclusion of the following to become members of RCCB XII, namely:  Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Philippine National Police (PNP), SMART, GLOBE, STI-Cotabato City Branch, Civil Registrar Associations’ Federation of SOCCSKSARGEN and Carlito Uy of the South Cotabato Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The 2015 POPCEN is the 3rd mid-decade census taking to be conducted in the country.  The first one was conducted in1995 and the second was in 2007.

Like the previous censuses, this year’s POPCEN has a nationwide coverage.  Enumeration period would run from August 1 to 30, 2015, with reference period of  “as of August 1, 2015, 12:01 A.M.”

RD   Valero conveyed his appreciation for  including  in the POPCEN, an indicator that  would indicate the number  of members of households who are overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).  “This would facilitate the generation of more accurate statistics about the actual number of OFWs who come from the region,”he said.

The 2015 POPCEN aims to provide the country with the updated population count and generate statistics on the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the population and important housing characteristics.

These statistics would be useful in the formulation of development plans and programs and in the allocation of resources at various geographic levels in the country.