NSO eyes more public participation in census
The National Statistics Office (NSO) is aiming to increase people's participation in census activities of government.
"We're looking into measures on addressing some people's failure to participate since census is important in generating data both national and local governments need for developing better public service strategies," NSO Administrator Carmelita Ericta said.
NSO officials already discussed the agency's planned coordination with Office of the Solicitor-General so such problem can be dealt with accordingly, she noted.
Under Sec. 3 of Commonwealth Act 591, NSO said persons who unjustifiably refuse to furnish information for the census or who knowingly give wrong data will be penalized upon conviction with either a maximum fine of PhP600, imprisonment of not over three months or both.
NSO decided on the move after extending to Oct. 15 this year its population census in Metro Manila and Cebu provinces.
Ericta said the extension is needed as NSO's enumerators reported encountering in these areas the most dfficulty in securing from respondents answers to the 2007 Census on Population (POPCEN 2007).
POPCEN 2007 is the country's first population census since 2000 when NSO last conducted such activity.
NSO's regional directors also reported some respondents in the Davao region and CALABARZON composed of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon provinces failed to participate POPCEN 2007, Ericta also noted.
She said POPCEN 2007 is over 90 percent complete already but NSO extended its coverage period since some respondents either refused to provide information, weren't available earlier for the census, barred NSO enumerators' entry into their premises or were unable to answer self-administered questionnaires which they preferred over face-to-face interviews. (PNA)