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By Jefferson Antiporda, Reporter
THE Department of the Interior
and Local Government on Tuesday mobilized local government officials
nationwide to assist in the conduct of this year’s census of
population to start next month.
In his directive, DILG Secretary
Ronaldo Puno ordered all provincial governors, city and municipal
mayors and barangay chairmen to convene their respective Local
Census Coordinating Boards (LCCBs) to help the NSO in updating the
population count.
Under Executive Order 121, also
known as the Reorganization Act of the Philippine Statistical
System, the NSO shall conduct census operations and some demographic
and socioeconomic characteristics useful in the formulation of
national and local development plans and programs.
The month of August has been
declared Census of Population, or POPCEN 2007.
The country’s population as of
July 2005 is 87,857, 473, according to the National Statistics
Office (NSO).
Puno also urged local officials
to collaborate with the Liga ng mga Barangay and the various local
government leagues in the conduct of POPCEN 2007.
He said local officials might
also carry out publicity and information drives on the activity.
Puno said updating the population
count would result in efficient delivery of basic services by the
government.
“The government can only be
effective in its development efforts if it has the data with which
to start its planning programs. A good plan starts with accurate and
reliable data, and population count is vital in the formulation of a
country’s overall plans,” he said.
In 1996 Executive Order 352, or
Designation of Statistical Activities that Will Generate Critical
Data for Decision Making of the Government and Private Sector, was
issued for the conduct of a mid-decade population census every 10
years by the NSO.
Due to budgetary constraints, the
Mid-Decade POPCEN was not conducted in 2005. For the same reason, it
did not push through last year.
But this year, the National
Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) passed a resolution for the
conduct of 2007 POPCEN.
It also passed resolutions on the
terms of reference of the regional, provincial, city and municipal
census coordinating boards in the conduct of the 2007 POPCEN, and
enjoined various agencies to provide assistance in the population
count.
Puno also called on all Filipinos
to support and cooperate in the population count.
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