WHAT IS CAF?

The CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (CAF) is a large-scale government undertaking that is geared towards the collection and compilation of basic information on the agriculture and fishery sectors in the country. Data collected will serve as the bases for policymaking and other purposes.

OBJECTIVES

The 2022 CAF Census will be conducted to provide government planners, policymakers, and administrators with agriculture and fisheries data on which to base their social and economic development plans, policies, and programs.

The 2022 CAF is envisioned to achieve the following objectives 
1. Determine the structural characteristics of agriculture and fishery sectors in the country; 
2. Provide sampling frames for the conduct of census’ periodic agricultural and fishery surveys; 
3. Provide basic data on the agriculture, aquaculture, and fishing characteristics for use in the government’s national and local development planning; and 
4. Provide data on the agricultural, aquaculture, and fishery facilities and services available in the barangay.

USES OF DATA

Over the years, the CAF has been a source of comprehensive statistics on agriculture and fisheries for the use of the general public, government, business industries, and research and academic institutions.

Specifically, the 2022 CAF is important for it provides the following:

• Inventory of the country's agricultural and fishery resources which is useful in making more meaningful decisions concerning the use of these resources; 
• Basic information on the kind of crops planted in various parts of the country, the area planted to each crop, kind and number of livestock and poultry raised, kind of species cultured in aquafarms, and information on fishing activities which are useful to investors, manufacturers, service providers, operators, farmers, and fishermen in planning the quantity and types of commodities to be produced and types of services to be offered; 
• Statistics on the distribution of agricultural lands, the structure of agricultural, aquaculture, and fishing operations, and other information which shall serve as a framework for the country’s development programs, including for capacity building; 
• Benchmarks for various statistical series which are designed to measure progress in the agricultural and fishery sectors; 
• Statistics for local area planning: barangay, city/municipality, provincial and regional levels; 
• Sampling frame for the various surveys in agriculture and fisheries; 
• Data for monitoring the progress of the country towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals; and 
• Information needed by the United Nations Organizations for international comparability of data and monitoring the world food situation.

TARGET RESPONDENTS

A. Household 

For CAF Form 1 (Listing Booklet) and CAF Form 2 (Household Questionnaire) 
• head of the household or his/her spouse or 
• any responsible member of the household who can provide accurate information about the household and all its members

For CAF Form 3 (Questionnaire on Agriculture), CAF Form 4 (Questionnaire on Agriculture), and CAF Form 5 (Questionnaire on Agriculture) 
• operator or 
• any responsible member of the household who can provide accurate information about the agricultural farm, aquaculture operation or fishing operation.

B. Barangay

For CAF Form 6 (Barangay Questionnaire) 
• Punong Barangay or 
• any incumbent barangay official

C. Non-Household (Establishments/Institutions/ Cooperatives/Government Office)

For CAF Form 7 (Agriculture – Growing of Crops), 
CAF Form 8 (Agriculture – Livestock and Poultry), 
CAF Form 9 (Aquaculture), and CAF Form 10 (Fishing) 
• representatives of establishments, institutions, cooperatives, and government agencies/corporations where primary/secondary /auxiliary activities are related to crop farming, raising livestock and poultry, aquafarming, and fishing can act as respondents

Note: An operator is responsible for making the major decisions of the operation of the agricultural holding/farm, livestock/poultry farm, aquafarm, and fishing operation, including the management and supervision of hired labor. An operator has the technical and economic responsibility for the holding/farm and may undertake all responsibilities directly.

MODES OF DATA COLLECTION

The following data collection methods will be used:

• Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) 
• Self-Accomplished Questionnaires (SAQ) 
• Paper and Pen Interviewing (PAPI)

HOW CAN YOU BE A PARTNER TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES?

You or your organization can be a partner by enhancing the level of receptiveness and cooperation of your personnel, stakeholders, and the public towards the Census of Agriculture and Fisheries and assisting in the campaign, information, logistics of training materials and personnel for the census operations among others.  Some activities which you can undertake are:

• Publicity and information drive among members of your organization and partner agencies through announcements of the conduct of the CAF in organization-sponsored fora, etc.;

• Encourage personnel/field offices/attached agencies/ attached corporations/ partner agencies to put up billboards, streamers, posters, and standees;

• Provide assistance in the census logistics requirements such as:

  • training venues/facilities for the training of census supervisors and enumerators,

  • transport facilities for census personnel and materials,

  • census headquarters during enumeration period;

• Participate in task force-, provincial-, and municipal-level trainings of census supervisors and enumerators as resource persons on agricultural, aquaculture, and fishing concepts and practices;

• Facilitate/mobilize ground personnel/field offices to enlist the cooperation of prospective respondents of the forthcoming Census of Agriculture and Fisheries; 

• Provide security to census personnel; and

• Sponsor local census awareness events for farmers, fishermen and other persons engaged in agriculture, aquaculture, and fisheries.

LEGAL BASES

The authority and mandate of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to conduct the 2022 CAF emanates from Republic Act (RA) 
No. 10625 (Philippine Statistical Act of 2013), which authorizes the PSA to prepare and conduct periodic census on agriculture and fisheries.

Moreover, Executive Order No. 352 (Designation of Statistical Activities That Will Generate Critical Data for Decision- Making of the Government and the Private Sector) provides for the conduct of a census of agriculture and fisheries every ten (10) years with the objective of providing government planners and policy-makers with data on which to base their plans for the country’s development.

OBLIGATIONS OF THE RESPONDENT IN THIS CENSUS

Paragraph 1 Section 27 of RA 10625 states that “respondents of primary data collection activities such as censuses and sample surveys are obliged to give truthful and complete answers to statistical inquiries. The gathering, consolidation, and analysis of such data shall likewise be done in the most truthful and credible manner”.

Paragraph 2 of Section 27 of RA 10625 further states that “any individual who refuses or fails to give truthful and complete answers to statistical inquiries will be imposed a penalty of one (1) year imprisonment and a fine of one hundred thousand pesos (Php 100,000.00)”.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION

In accordance to Section 4 of Commonwealth Act (CA) 591, the hired supervisors and enumerators held the information obtained from individuals or establishments during the census operation STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL and did not divulge to any person, except to the authorized PSA personnel acting in the performance of their duties.

The information collected from households/persons or establishments would be used for statistical purposes only; not for taxation or investigation or law enforcement. Republic Act (RA) 10625 (Article 59, Rule 30) stated that “any person including parties within the PSA Board and the PSA, who breach the confidentiality of information, whether by carelessness or improper behavior or behavior with malicious intent or use of confidential information for profit, are considered guilty of an offense and shall be liable to fines and/or imprisonment as prescribed by the PSA Board”.