The National Statistics Office (NSO) has made it clear that data gathered from the 2010 Census of Population and Housing shall be treated with utmost confidentiality.
The agency is not discounting the fact that some households may hesitate to answer census questions for fear of exposure.
In previous censuses, many households aired their apprehension that data gathered from the census may be used against them, particularly in criminal investigations, taxation, eviction of squatters, among others.
However, provincial statistics officer Pepito Amuyen, who covers the provinces of Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, assured the people on the confidentiality of census data.
He said the agency has been making it clear time and again that the data being gathered during the census period can be published only in the form of summaries, totals and tables, and in no way shall pertain to any individual.
He further assured the public that such data will be divulged only in summary form.
Amuyen said the on-going census taking in the province has been generally doing well in the first few days following the start of the census period last May 17.
He said enumerators are on schedule and are doing fine, except for some field workers assigned to barangays that are embroiled in longstanding boundary conflict with other LGUs.
Enumerators who figure in such situations have been instructed to seek the assistance of their local census coordinating boards in settling boundary disputes.
Meanwhile, census supervisors and enumerators who are DepED officials and teachers will receive their umbrellas, bags and clipboards on May 27, 2010.
There are 1,250 census area supervisors and enumerators in Davao del Norte.
In a related development, Lilia Talarde, administrative assistant III under Amuyen’s office, assured that her office is processing the medical reimbursement of Donabel Pagandahan Marimon, a census supervisor assigned in Talaingod town.
Marimon suffered minor injuries when she figured in a vehicular accident last April 28 in Barangay Sto. Niño, Talaingod, Davao del Norte, while attending the 3rd level training for census supervisors.
