29 April 2024 – GUIMARAS. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-Guimaras Provincial
Statistical Office annumerated 192 Guimarasnons in the Labor Force Survey (LFS) April round with a rider questionnaire on tourism and unpaid work for the past seven (7) days to all household members who are five years old and over.

The rider questions related to unpaid activities such as care and domestic work, including the number of minutes spent on particular activities that aim to provide statistical information on the equal redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work between women and men in the households.

Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare cited that the questions were added as riders in the survey, as it is considered essential for the welfare of every Filipino and in the operation of the market-based economy.

“Unpaid care and domestic work were among the significant identified issues for sustainable development,” she said.

“Actually, it is one of the objectives in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically in the SDG Goal 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls,” she stated.

PSO Losare also expounded that in Guimaras, the 192 pre-identified sample households (HHs) successfully enumerated for the survey were from various 12 Enumeration Areas (EAs) covering 12 barangays.

Losare specified that in Buenavista Municipality, the enumerators covered 19 Households (HHs) in Brgy. Avila, 10 HHs in Daragan, 15 HHs in East Valencia, 12 HHs in Getulio, 11 HHs in Mclain, and 18 HHs in Supang.

In the Municipality of Jordan, the chosen sample HHs were from the barangays of Alaguisoc with 18 HHs, Buluangan with 20 HHs, and Santa Teresa with 11 HHs.

“Concordia Sur with 19 HHs, and Lucmayan with 18 HHs were the sample barangays in the Municipality of Nueva Valencia, while 21 HHs in Millan 11 HHs in the Municipality of Jordan,” Losare said.

Losare elaborated further that 36 of the 192 pre-identified sample HHs, were replaced with other samples.

The pre-identified samples found to have permanently moved out from their housing units were replaced, including the single person occupying the housing unit who had passed away.

Of the 36 replacements, three (18) each were from the Municipalities of Buenavista, nine (9) were from Jordan, while six (6) came from Nueva Valencia and three (3) from Sibunag.

The LFS is a household survey that measures the country's current labor market and is also used to calculate national and provincial employment and unemployment rates.

“It aimed at providing a quantitative framework for plans and policy formulation affecting the labor market. Likewise, involving the collection of labor and employment data, and it also gathers the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the labor force,” Losare said.

Losare also cited that the enumeration started on the 8th until the 30th of April 2024 through the efforts of the hired Statistical Researchers (SRs) of PSA-Guimaras.

Meanwhile, Losare appreciated the support of all the sample households who provided accurate and reliable data, giving them the guarantee of utmost confidentiality.

“The data will be used solely as a reference for the levels and trends of employment, unemployment, and underemployment in the province, and that all information gathered will be kept strictly confidential and shall not be used for taxation, investigation, or regulation as provided under Article 55 of Republic Act 10625,” Losare clarified.