PSA: 2024 population census kicks off on July 15

Philippine Statistics Authority-7 chief statistical specialist Engr. Leopoldo Alfanta Jr. explains the scope and coverage of the 2024 POPCEN-CBMS.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — After four years, the Census of Population and Community-Based Monitoring System (POPCEN-CBMS) is set to be updated.

The 2024 POPCEN-CBMS was launched on Friday, July 12, led by officials from the Philippine Statistics Authority in Central Visayas (PSA-7). The census will run from Monday, July 15, until September 15 nationwide.

During the launch, PSA-7 officials including director Engr. Ariel Florendo, chief statistical specialist Engr. Leopoldo Alfanta Jr., and supervising statistical specialist Felixberto Sato Jr. explained the process and details of the POPCEN-CBMS. This year’s census was ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in February 2024 to update beneficiary lists for social protection and government programs, following the last census in 2020.

Sato described POPCEN as a complete count of households and institutional living quarters in the Philippines, aiming to accurately inventory the total population.

The CBMS uses technology to collect, process, and validate disaggregated data categorized by factors like gender, location, education level, and marginalized groups. This information is crucial for local planning, program implementation, and assessing impact.

PSA Board Resolution No. 4 mandates the simultaneous conduct of the census and CBMS to optimize government resources and minimize respondent fatigue.

READ: PSA-7 ensures data security measures for 2024 census collection

70,000 census takers to be deployed starting July 15

“Therefore it will help us understand or analyze the needs and provide particular government services that will be given to the community. It is not just counting people, but it is, of course, getting information on education, employment, health, and living conditions across the nation. [It will be the] source for programs that will address the needs of the most vulnerable population,” Sato said.

The census data will assist the private sector in contributing to the country’s social development, while research and academic institutions can use the data for comprehensive analysis and informed decision-making.

Alfanta clarified that census enumeration units include households, which inventory the population and housing units, such as identifying how many are constructed with light materials.

Institutional living quarters (ILQ) cover individuals in settings like military facilities, detention centers, orphanages, and boarding houses.

The census also includes homeless individuals, those in temporary shelters or evacuation centers, Filipinos abroad, and embassy residents, coordinated closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

PSA-7 previously announced additional training for census enumerators due to insufficient personnel to meet the December 27 deadline. While over 70,000 enumerators will be deployed nationwide, specific numbers for Cebu City were not disclosed. /clorenciana