The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) granted clearance for the conduct of the Baseline Survey on the Convergence on the Value Chain Enhancement for Rural Growth and Empowerment (Project ConVERGE) by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) in partnership with Strategic Research and Development Center, Inc. (STRAND-Asia) on 02 July 2019.

Results of the Baseline Survey on Project ConVERGE will be used to establish the current situation of households which are members of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBO). In particular, the survey results will show the extent of farming access to and utilization of production technologies, production inputs, credit, agriculture support infrastructure, information and market, and policy environment.

The survey, which is funded by the Department of Agrarian Reform, will utilize a budget of Php 2.3 million to interview 1,500 ARBO households in Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga.

Major data items collected in this undertaking include the following:

• demographic characteristics such as sex, marital status, highest grade completed, indigenous peoples group membership, and association or cooperative membership
• economic characteristics including occupation, nature of employment, farming engagement, annual earnings, and other source of income
• primary production data including volume of production and types of crops being grown, volume of production and types of livestock and poultry being raised, other agricultural activities, and farm assets, agricultural outputs, revenue, and expenses
• agriculture support infrastructure including post-harvest facility, cold storage, access to transport, roads, and irrigation, as well as land ownership and use, and credit sources

The distribution of survey questionnaires runs from July 2019 until August 2019. Meanwhile, survey results will be released in November 2019 and will be used to validate the ability of Project ConVERGE to deliver its targets.

The Baseline Survey on Project ConVERGE was reviewed and cleared for conduct under the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS), a mechanism being implemented by the PSA by virtue of Rule 28 of Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 10625 to:

• ensure sound design for data collection;
• minimize the burden placed upon respondents;
• effect economy in statistical data collection;
• eliminate unnecessary duplication of statistical data collection efforts; and
• achieve better coordination of government statistical activities.

Meanwhile, the PSA would like to inform the general public that the PSA is only mandated to review and clear the survey materials through the SSRCS. In the event that the survey proponent hires a third-party entity to undertake the survey on their behalf, kindly note that the PSA does not have control over the agreement between the survey proponent and the third-party entity.

In line with this, the PSA enjoins the public to support the said survey.

For further information on SSRCS, please contact the Statistical Standards Division (SSD) of the Standards Service (SS) with telephone numbers
(02) 376-1928 and (02) 376-1931, and email address: ssd.staff@psa.gov.ph or ssdss.staff@gmail.com.

CLAIRE DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General

See more at the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS) landing page.