What are the vital questions that needs to be answered by the respondents relevant to the conduct of a nationwide survey on population and housing scheduled next year otherwise known as Census 2000? Are all the categories in the past censuses remains useful for program planning? Is there a need for revision on some approaches to the census? These questions and more will be the subject of the public hearings set by the House Committee on Population and Family Relations on March 24-25, 1999 at the Batasan Pambansa Complex.

The two-day public hearing on the items and concepts relevant to Census 2000 will be conducted by the House Committee, under the chairmanship of Congressman Genaro M. Alvarez, Jr. The activity is seen by the NSO as the most effective way of addressing the needs of its data users.

A list of items for inclusion in the census questionnaire, recommendations on concepts, definitions and categories as well as other important requirements are among the expected outputs of the hearings.

According to NSO Administrator Tomas Africa, the conduct of census on population and housing is important to the country's future and the improvement of the quality of life of the Filipinos. He added that the information that Census 2000 will generate and will provide are necessary in planning what gets built, how many school houses are needed, how much a city or barangay should get from the Internal Revenue Allotment, among others.

The Philippines has been taking a comprehensive count of its citizens since 1903 when the population was 7,635,426. Census 2000 will be the biggest of its kind in the nation's history as it will cover 15 million households and will involve 50,000 teachers/interviewers. The preparations for the gargantuan and complex operation have been undertaken since 1998 to make the nationwide undertaking as comprehensive and accurate as possible and the public hearing is part of the user's consultation process.