The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-Guimaras Provincial Statistical Office interviewed 192 Guimarasnons in the Labor Force Survey (LFS) January 2023 round with a rider questionnaire on functional difficulty and migration experience.
“The 192 pre-identified sample households (HHs) were from various 12 Enumeration Areas (EAs) covering 12 barangays,” Provincial Statistical Officer Nelida B. Losare said.
“In the Municipality of Buenavista, we covered 19 Households (HHs) in Brgy., Old Poblacion, 11 HHs in Getulio, 15 HHs in Cansilayan, 13 HHs in New Poblacion, and 19 HHs in Piña,” Losare added.
Losare also highlighted that in the Municipality of San Lorenzo, the chosen sample HHs were from the barangays of Constancia with 13 HHs, Tamborong with 20 HHs, and Igcawayan with 16 HHs.
“Guiwanon with 20 HHs and Lucmayan with 9 HHs were the sample barangays in the Municipality of Nueva Valencia, 17 HHs in San Miguel of Jordan, and 20 HHs in Ravina of Sibunag,” Losare said.
Losare elaborated that of the 192 samples, 23 HHs were replacements because the addressee could not be located or had permanently moved out from the housing unit, a vacant housing unit, and a single person occupying the housing unit that had passed away.
Of the 23 replacements, three (3) came from the Municipality of Jordan, four (4) from Nueva Valencia, two (2) from Sibunag, and seven (7) each from Buenavista and San Lorenzo.
Losare said the 2023 LFS January round data will measure the continuing effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on labor and employment in the country. It also included questions regarding the engagement of household members in the online platform, functional difficulty, and migration experience, which is an input to the migration rates computation for the generation/updating of population projection.
“This was also conducted by the PSA as mandated by Republic Act (RA) No. 10625, otherwise known as the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013. “Under Article 6, Rule 5 of the said RA, mandated the PSA to prepare and conduct statistical sample surveys on all aspects of socio-economic life, including agriculture, industry, trade, finance, prices, and marketing information, income and expenditure, education, health, culture, and social situations for the use of the government and the public,” Losare said.
The LFS is a quarterly household survey that measures the country’s current labor market and is used, among other things, to calculate national and provincial employment and unemployment rates.
“It aimed at providing a quantitative framework for plans and policy formulation affecting the labor market. Likewise, involving the collection of data on labor and employment, and it also gathers the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the labor force,” Losare said.
Losare also cited that the enumeration, which started on January 09, 2022, cannot be completed on time without the efforts of the Hired Statistical Researchers (SRs) of PSA- Guimaras implementing the surveys through a phone interview, online interview, or face-to-face interview using Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI), with adherence to physical distancing and strictly following the health protocols.
Meanwhile, Losare appreciated the support of all the sample households who provided accurate and reliable data, giving them the guarantee of utmost confidentiality.
“The data will be used solely as a reference for the levels and trends of employment, unemployment, and underemployment in the province. All the information collected by the hired Statistical Researchers will be kept strictly confidential and shall not be used for taxation, investigation, or regulation as provided under Article 55 of Republic Act 10625,” Losare clarified.
