CAGAYAN de Oro second district Representative Rufus Rodriguez on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, urged the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to put off its census for population and housing for 2020 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
According to Rodriguez, PSA personnel who are conducting the census as well as the interviewees are at risk of contracting Covid-19.
"There will be face-to-face interviews and the possibility of infection is still there," the lawmaker said.
“Such threat amid the pandemic is uncalled for and inappropriate. What we need is, as far as practicable, fewer people in the streets and outside their homes to help contain the spread of Covid-19,” he said.
The lawmaker added that the period of pandemic is not the most appropriate time to conduct surveys.
“This period when we are battling a pandemic is not the most appropriate time to conduct the census. We are still getting daily positive cases in the thousands, though the Department of Health is reporting that the numbers are going down,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez suggested that the PSA rely on “historical data with some adjustments.” (Jove Moya/SunStar Philippines)