IPC/96-2 July 1996 a monograph by Dr. Diana Lopez-Meisel U.S. Bureau of the Census Project Manager of BUCEN Technical Assistance Ms. Josie Perez Chief of the Income and Employment Statistics Division National Statistics Office U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration BUREAU OF THE CENSUS The U.S. Bureau of the Census would like to acknowledge the efforts of Tomas P. Africa, National Statistics Office (NSO) Administrator, and the NSO personnel whose dedication, professionalism and hard work resulted in the successful completion of the 1991 Census of Agriculture. Thanks also go to the NSO staff members who assisted in reviewing the report. This report was made possible through support provided by USAID/Manila under the terms of Participating Agency Service Agreement number 492-0432-3100-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID. Summary The 1991 Census of Agriculture for International Development (CA) was a large-scale government (USAID) which provided funding operation focused on the collection and support through the Technical and compilation of statistics on Resources Project Number 492- the Philippines agriculture sector. 0432 for training and technical The CA is the only data collection assistance by the United States effort that produces small-area Bureau of the Census, Internation- data on farms, farm households, al Statistical Programs Center livestock, and types of crops (ISPC). grown. It also serves as a sam- NSO successfully completed the pling frame for the intercensal CA with project highlights that agricultural surveys which provide include: continuous data on agricultural and ~ Decentralized computer pro- livestock production. The data cessing in the 14 regional will be used for years to come as a centers and 78 provincial basis from which the government offices of the NSO through- of the Philippines policymakers out the Philippines as well and planners evolve plans for the as in the office in Manila, country’s development. making excellent use of the 318 microcomputers that The main data collection for the were procured and installed 1991 CA was conducted in Febru- to process the 1990 Census ary 1992, simultaneously listing of Population and Housing all households and enumerating (CPH). persons engaged in any agricultur- al activities in a sample of slightly ~ Approximately 4 million CA more than half of the barangays in forms were processed entirely the Philippines. The undertaking on microcomputers. was a very large operation enu- ~ Field staff in the regional merating approximately 4 million and provincial offices used agricultural operators in the their microcomputers as data sample barangays. The National analysis and management Statistics Office (NSO) of the tools as well as for the cen- Philippines constructed detailed sus and survey processing plans and trained staff with help tasks. During the CPH the from the United States Agency staff were trained to use the ~ ~ 1 ~ ~ microcomputers for data ~ The Bureau of Agriculture processing operations. They Statistics (BAS) used the CA brought these basic skills to results to construct a sampl- the processing of the CA and ing frame for specialized were given specific training post-census surveys. for the CA processing. ~ The NSO used sophisticated ~ Data dissemination tools were data analysis techniques to developed for the CA, and measure the accuracy of the were distributed through CA data with an evaluation seminars and workshops. survey. They also gained The NSO continues in its experience in using micro- commitment to disseminate computer software for tabu- data collected for use by lating measures of precision government and private for the sample estimates industry. from the CA data. ~ 2 ~ ~ ~ Background The 1991 CA is the fourth decen- NSO Administrator and Deputy nial census of agriculture under- Administrator and in collaboration taken by the NSO. The previous with the Inter-Agency Committee census was undertaken in 1981 (IAC) and the Technical Working with 1980 as the reference period. Group (TWG) on the Census of Prior to the 1980 census were the Agriculture, which became the 1971 and 1960 CAs. On a limited linkage between the NSO and scale, the CA’s was conducted other government agencies. The in 1903, 1918, 1939, and 1948 IAC and TWG made several together with the census of popula- recommendations for the improve- tion. However, only the postwar ment of the plans intended for the census results are available. CA. The TWG helped in identify- ing the data items to be included The 1991 CA was envisioned with in the CA and suggested ways to the following objectives: improve the design of the listing ~ to determine the structure and sheet, questionnaire, and other characteristics of holdings, forms, as well as the CA sample e.g., variation in size, tenure design. The NSO field personnel of holdings, land utilization, were also consulted regarding the and area planted in crops; field operation of the 1991 CA. ~ The subject-matter division in to provide data for improv- charge of the 1991 CA performed ing reliability of current all the tasks from the preparatory estimates; phase to the publication of the ~ to provide a sampling results. frame for other statistical The field operation of the 1991 undertakings; and Census of Agriculture was a pro- ~ to provide basic data for duct of a cooperative effort of the use in national and local NSO and different government development planning. agencies such as the Department of Agriculture (DA), Bureau of The planning and preparation of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), the 1991 CA were done at the National Statistical Coordination NSO Central Office in consulta- Board (NSCB), and Statistical tion with the NSO Advisory Research and Training Center Committee on Censuses led by the (SRTC). The NSO served as ~ ~ 3 ~ ~ the lead agency during the 1991 CA. The DA and BAS, the major Conducting the data users of the CA, provided 1991 Census of the facilities and manpower for the successful implementation of the Agriculture CA field operation. Selected NSCB and SRTC staff also acted The main census was conducted as trainers and supervisors during from February 13 to March 31, the field operation. 1992, with the year 1991 as the reference period. The enumeration The U.S. Bureau of the Census of corporate/large farms was provided expert technical assis- conducted separately from the tance and training support to main census. This operation improve NSO’s capability to was done from October 1 to evaluate and analyze high quality November 15, 1992, for all the data in a timely fashion. NSO provinces. specialists were trained later by The CA covered slightly more the U.S. Bureau of the Census than 50 percent of all barangays in statistical sampling, estimation for each municipality in all prov- procedures, calculating standard inces except for Batanes wherein errors, data editing and imputation, all barangays were enumerated. evaluation techniques, basic cen- The barangay with the largest sus mapping, data processing using agricultural area (according to the specialized computer software, and 1980 CA) in each municipality the application of microcomputer was covered with certainty, and a technology for processing the CA. 50 percent sample of the remaining barangays was enumerated during Institutional and systematic the main CA data collection. The changes have taken place at NSO National Capital Region (NCR) as a result of the USAID/U.S. was a special case with only 10 Bureau of the Census project. percent of the noncertainty baran- The fundamental management gays in each municipality taken and operational changes represent as a sample in the census. a significant departure from previous agricultural censuses, There were four provinces, name- especially in data processing and ly: Isabela, Laguna, Marinduque, evaluation. This is a trend that and Bukidnon which, in effect, NSO will continue in its future had 100 percent coverage for the activities because they have found CA. In these provinces, an ad- a more timely and practical way vance census was conducted on of doing some tasks. October 1, 1991, for the first ~ 4 ~ ~ ~ sample of slightly more than 50 The following were considered as percent of the barangays while the basic agricultural activities in the remaining barangays were covered 1991 CA: during the main census operation. ~ growing of temporary crops like palay, corn, sugarcane, The sampling frame for the 1991 camote, string beans, CA in each of the 73 provinces of cabbage, etc. the Philippines was constructed by integrating the 1990 Census of ~ raising of permanent crops Population and Housing barangay like coconut, santol, mango, lists with the 1980 CA data on guava, grapes, etc. total farm area. Each of the 1,690 ~ tending of livestock and municipalities of the country was poultry treated as a separate stratum and the primary sampling units were ~ culture of mushrooms, the barangays. Within each munic- honeybees, earthworms, ipality, the barangays were ordered silkworms, etc. by total farm area and the baran- gay with the largest total farm area ~ cultivation of ornamental and was included in the sample with flowering plants for sale certainty; a 50 percent sample was ~ management of above selected systematically from the activities including planning, remaining barangays. In the case supervising, marketing of of the NCR, the certainty baran- produce, purchasing inputs, gays were identified based on both and record-keeping total farm area and the number of animals, and a 10 percent sample All households from the sampled was selected from the remaining barangays were listed to determine barangays. Within each sample whether any member of the house- barangay, all of the farm operators hold was engaged in any agricul- were enumerated for the CA. tural activity during the reference period. The listing served as the The concepts and definitions in the frame for the census by identifying 1991 CA were the ones used in the the agricultural operators.