The Philippine Statistics Authority – Regional Statistical Services Office 7 (PSA – RSSO 7) participates in the conduct of the Task Force Training on Scanning of Post-Census maps from the conduct of the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (2020 CPH). It was a two-day training conducted last 18 – 19 March 2021.

On the first day of the training ANS Florante Varona gave a short briefer on the importance and relevance of the scanning operation as to the whole census operation. Immediately after his message follows the discussion of the Scanning Center Operation of the Regional Office. Map Scan Operators (MSOs) were hired by the office to smoothly conduct the scanning activity of the whole Region. For Region 7, two MSOs were hired, they were Mr. Jonard Cosmo and Ms. Jocery Ilaran. Both of the MSOs were experienced 2020 CPH personnel. An in-depth lecture on their responsibilities and roles were laid out by the speakers from PSA Central Office. Part of their responsibility as MSOs of the region are: They are responsible for the actual scanning of the paper maps; to conduct completeness check of the scanned City/Municipality, Barangay, EA, and Block maps using the 2020 Enumeration Area Reference File (EARF) attached to the Excel Macro file for Scanning or by using the number of sheets (EA + Block) indicated in the block maps template to check the completeness of Block maps; conduct a quality check of the scanned maps by verifying the clarity and readability of the map updates on the scanned map files and whether the map updates will suffice for digitization; re-scans the paper maps that did not pass the quality check; informs the RFP and or ARFP that both the completeness and quality check of the scanned maps had been conducted; coordinates with the RFP and or ARFP if there are any problems concerning the paper maps to be scanned or the scanned map files produced; uploads the scanned map files to the PSA cloud submission facility; archives the scanned map files in the RSSO and informs the RFP and or ARFP if the archiving was done; re-bundles the paper maps by City/Municipality for transmittal to PSO; and accomplishes the CPH transmittal form for the shipping of re-bundled paper maps back to the PSO.

On the second day of the training, the discussion focused more on the responsibilities of the different Provincial Offices particularly their Map Data Processors (MDPs) who will then further process or evaluate the maps against the CPH Form 1 during the 2020 CPH operation. This is to ensure that proper coverage during the enumeration was conducted. Then an actual scanning operation as part of the training followed. Together with the two MSOs in the Region, during the training they were joined by RD Ariel E. Florendo, CSS Leopoldo P. Alfanta of SOCD, SrSS Myrna Trinidad T. Cataluña, SS II Joseph Jim D. Abadingo and COSW Beverly Medalle. While in the Provincial Offices of the Region, MDPs were joined by their respective Provincial Focal Persons (PFPs) and Assistant Provincial Focal Persons (APFPs) they were: Bohol: SA Venus P. Gloria (PFP) and SS II Emmanuel B. Galab (APFP); Cebu: SA April Aglan Mifil Gocela (PFP) and SA Ralph Gaviola (APFP); Negros Oriental: SS II Harold Roy Infante (PFP) and SS II Alberto Girasol; Siquijor: SS II Joselito Maghanoy (PFP).