TACLOBAN CITY—The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is currently conducting two surveys that are important in the preparation of plans and formulation of policies affecting the labor sector.
The fourth and last round of the quarterly Labor Force Survey (LFS) was launched on October 8, simultaneous with the 2016 Survey on Overseas Filipinos (SOF).
Economic planners in Eastern Visayas region consider these surveys critical in the formulation of plans and strategies to sustain the 12.6- percent growth rate recorded last year.
A total of 2,713 sample households were identified across the region as respondents. PSA personnel and hired statistical researchers will visit these households, which will be interviewed using tablets guided by Computer Aided Data Collection System.
The LFS is a quarterly nationwide survey of households, which aims to gather data on the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the population, and to provide a quantitative framework for the preparation of plans and formulation of policies affecting the labor market.
Data on the labor-force survey in January shows that out of the estimated 69.4 million population aged 15 years old and above, 42.1 million persons were in the labor force, or a labor-force participation rate (LFPR) of 60.7 percent. The employment rate in the same period was estimated at 93.4 percent
Among the regions, Negros Island region recorded the highest LFPR at 66.1 percent, while Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao had the lowest LFPR at 44.3 percent. Eastern Visayas posted 56.2 percent.
Four regions, namely, Ilocos Region (91.3 percent) National Capital Region (NCR) (91.5 percent), Caraga (91.5 percent) and Calabarzon (91.8 percent) had the lowest employment rates in the January 2017 survey. Eastern Visayas had employment participation that was recorded at 93.6 percent.
The SOF, on the other hand, is a nationwide survey that collects data on Filipino citizens who left for abroad during the last five years. It aims to generate statistics on overseas Filipinos and their contribution to the economy. The SOF provides data on the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), their remittances (cash and in kind), modes of remittance, occupation and place of work abroad.
According to PSA Regional Director Wilma A. Perante, the SOF will only include those whose family members who traveled outside of the Philippines within the period of October 2011 to September 2016.
At anytime during the period of April to September 2016, there was an estimated 2.2 million OFWs with 97.5 percent of them having existing work contracts, while the rest (2.5 percent) worked overseas without any contract.
Calabarzon reported the biggest share of OFWs with 21.0 percent, followed by NCR and Central Luzon with 12.9 percent and 12.7 percent, respectively. Forty-seven percent of the total OFWs came from these three regions. Meanwhile, Cordillera Administrative Region reported the least share of OFWs at 1.8 percent. Eastern Visayas contributed 2.1 percent of the total number of OFWs.
The PSA is appealing to the public to cooperate and support the conduct of the two surveys. The Office assures the public that all information shall be accorded with utmost confidentiality as provided under RA 10625. Data generated from these surveys will be disseminated in statistical summaries without reference to any individual person or household.