POPCEN 2007 NCR Special Release

TECHNICAL NOTES

Introduction

The National Statistics Office conducted the 2007 Census of Population (POPCEN 2007), the 12th census of population conducted in the country since the 1903 Census. POPCEN 2007 was designed to take an inventory of the total population in the Philippines and to collect information about the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the population as of August 1, 2007.

Authority for POPCEN 2007

Section 2 of Commonwealth Act No. 591, approved on August 19, 1940, authorized the Bureau of the Census and Statistics (now NSO) to collect by enumeration, sampling or other methods, statistics and other information concerning population and to conduct, for statistical purposes, investigations and studies of social and economic conditions in the country, among others.

Enumeration Method

Hired census enumerators gathered the population data through house-to-house interview of the head of each household or by requesting the respondents to fill up the Self-Administered Questionnaire (SAQ). The SAQ is a set of printed instructions and illustrations on how to accomplish it. Residents of institutions such as hospitals, sanitaria, penitentiary, military camps, convents, seminaries were enumerated using the questionnaire for institutional population. The de jure method of enumeration was used, that is, all persons were enumerated in their usual place of residence.

Definition of Terms and Concepts

The operational definitions and concepts adopted in the POPCEN 2007 were the same terms and concepts used in the past censuses of population to ensure comparability of census results.

Barangay

A barangay is the smallest political unit in the country. Generally, one enumerator is assigned to enumerate one barangay. For enumeration purposes, a large barangay is usually divided into parts, and each part is called an enumeration area (EA).

Enumeration Area

An enumeration area (EA) is a delineated area usually consisting of about 350 to 500 households. It could be an entire barangay or part of a barangay.

For purposes of this POPCEN report, the population of an area disputed by two barangays in the same municipality is excluded from either disputing barangay but included in the municipality total. A disputed barangay between two municipalities in the same province is included in the count of the province, while the population of a disputed barangay between two provinces is included in the count at the national level. A disputed barangay refers to an area which is being claimed by two or more barangays, municipalities, cities or provinces.

Usual Place of Residence

This refers to the geographic place (street, barangay, city/municipality or province) where the enumerated person usually resides. As a rule, it is the place where that person sleeps most of the time, hence, it may be the same as or different from the place where he/she was found at the time of the census.

Household

A household is a social unit consisting of a person living alone or a group of persons who sleep in the same housing unit and have a common arrangement in the preparation and consumption of food.

In most cases, a household consists of persons who are related by kinship ties, like parents and their children. In some instances, several generations of familial ties are represented in one household while, still in others, even more distant relatives are members of the household.

Household helpers, boarders, and non-relatives are considered as members of the household provided they sleep in the same housing unit and have common arrangements for the preparation and consumption of food and do not usually go home to their family at least once a week.

A person who shares a housing unit with a household but separately cooks his meals or consumes his food elsewhere is not considered a member of the household.

Whom to Enumerate

As in past population censuses, enumerators in POPCEN 2007 were provided with guidelines on whom to list as members of a household. This was to ensure uniformity in determining household membership and in identifying persons to be included in the enumeration or excluded from it. Furthermore, this ensured that there was no omission or duplication in the enumeration of persons and households during census-taking. The following are the guidelines in determining household membership:

Those present at the time of visit and whose usual place of residence is the housing unit where the household lives

Family members who are overseas workers and who have been away at the time of census for not more than five years from the date of departure and are expected to be back within five years from the date of last departure. These include overseas workers who are on vacation in the Philippines and with existing work contract.
An overseas worker is a household member who is currently out of the country due to overseas employment. He/She may or may not have a specific work contract or may be presently at home on vacation but has an existing overseas employment to return to. Undocumented overseas workers, or “TNT” (“Tago nang Tago”), are considered as overseas workers for as long as they are still considered members of the household and if they have been away for less than five years. However, immigrants are excluded from the census.

Those whose usual place of residence is the place where the household lives but are temporarily away at the time of the census for any of the following reasons:

on vacation, business/pleasure trip, or training somewhere in the Philippines and are expected to be back within six months from the date of departure. An example is the training with the Armed Forces of the Philippines for not more than six months
on vacation, business/pleasure trip, or studying/training abroad and are expected to be back within a year from the date of departure
working or attending school in some other place but comes home at least once a week
confined in hospitals for a period of not more than six months as of August 1, 2007 except when they are confined as inmates of tuberculosis pavilions, mental hospitals, leprosaria or leper colonies, drug rehabilitation centers, and others
detained in national/provincial/city/municipal jails or in military camps for a period of not more than six months as of August 1, 2007 except when their sentence or detention is expected to exceed six months
on board coastal, inter-island, or fishing vessels within Philippine territories
on board ocean-going vessels but are expected to be back within five years from the date of departure.

Boarders/lodgers of the household or employees of household-operated businesses who do not usually return/go to their respective homes weekly

Citizens of foreign countries, excluding members of diplomatic missions and non-Filipino members of international organizations, but including Filipino “balikbayans” who have resided or are expected to reside in the Philippines for at least a year from their arrival

Persons temporarily staying with the household who have no usual place of residence or who are not certain to be enumerated elsewhere.

Included in the enumeration are those who are alive as of 12:01 a.m. of August 1, 2007 and who are:

Filipino nationals permanently residing in the Philippines

Filipino nationals who, as of census date, are temporarily at Philippine sea, or are temporarily on vacation, business/pleasure trip or study/training abroad and are expected to be back within a year from the date of departure

Filipino overseas workers, including those on board oceangoing vessels, who are away at the time of census and expected to be back within five years

Philippine government officials, both military and civilian, including Philippine diplomatic personnel and their families, assigned abroad

Civilian citizens of foreign countries having their usual residence in the Philippines or foreign visitors who have stayed or are expected to stay for at least a year from the date of their arrival in this country.

Persons Excluded from the Census Enumeration

Excluded from the enumeration are the following persons, although they happen to be within the territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines at the time of the census enumeration:

Foreign ambassadors, ministers, consuls, or other diplomatic representatives, and members of their families (except Filipino and non-Filipino employees who have been residents of the Philippines prior to said employment)

Citizens of foreign countries living within the premises of an embassy, legation, chancellery, or consulate

Citizens of foreign countries who are chiefs or officials of international organizations like United Nations (UN), International Labor Organization (ILO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) who are subject to reassignment to other countries after their tour of duty in the Philippines, and members of their families

Citizens of foreign countries together with non-Filipino members of their families, who are students or who are employed, or have business in the Philippines but who are expected to stay in the country for less than a year from arrival

Citizens of foreign countries and Filipinos with usual place of residence in a foreign country who are visiting the Philippines and who have stayed or are expected to stay in the country for less than a year from arrival (e.g., a “balikbayan” who will return to his/her usual place of residence abroad after a short vacation or visit in the Philippines)

Citizens of foreign countries in refugee camps/vessels

Residents of the Philippines on vacation, pleasure or business trip, study or training abroad who have been away or expected to be away from the Philippines for more than one year from departure.

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Source: National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines