The Regional Statistical Services Office (RSSO) Focal Person and Provincial Focal Persons together with the Livestock and Poultry Statistics Division (LPSD) immersed for the 2^nd Level Training for Operational Training on Livestock and Poultry (L&P) Surveys on 10-12 March 2020 at One Central Hotel, Cebu City.

Among the participants were the L&P Provincial Focal/Assistant Focal Persons and selected Regional staff. Two (2) representatives from LPSD also served as trainers, aside from the regional representatives during the task force training.

The purpose of this undertaking is to capacitate L&P Focal/Assistant Focal Persons with regards to the concepts and definitions, survey operations, processing systems and other arising matters relative to the conduct of the L&P surveys. 

The first day of training tackled on the Backyard Livestock & Poultry Survey (BLPS). It was being emphasized that the unit of enumeration for BLPS is now “household”. This is to align with the concept that is being adopted from other household-based surveys of the office. Instructions on when to replace for eligible households who at the time of visit are not available or non-responding during the field enumeration was discussed and clarified. The enhanced BLPS processing system was also introduced.        

Participants were able to practice, explore and evaluate the system for future improvements. BLPS is conducted every quarter and every first day of the month after the reference quarter. Discussion on Commercial Livestock and Poultry (CLPS) was then followed. Issues on when and how to update the Frame Maintenance Framework 1 and 2 (FMF 1 and 2) was raised and given emphasis. Location of L&P farms and availability of the personnel were being addressed and notified. CLPS is being conducted every quarter and every last ten (10) days of the last month of the reference quarter.

Compilation of Data from Slaughterhouses and Poultry Dressing Plants (CDSPDP), an administrative data, was discussed during the last day of the training. Data from slaughterhouses and poultry dressing plants are collected through the administrative reports of Meat Inspectors which are submitted to the National Meat Inspection Service-Regional Technical Operation Centers (NMIS-RTOCs) and Provincial Veterinary Offices (PVOs). CDSPDP is collected monthly and every first to ten days after the reference month.

The purpose of BLPS and CLPS is to generate estimates on livestock and poultry   inventory, production in liveweight equivalent, number of animals slaughtered/dressed and other production related data. The data generated from the surveys are inputs to the Performance of Agriculture Report (PAR) and accordingly to the preparation of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Moreover, the survey supports the data needs of planners, policy and decision makers, and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector particularly the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies such as the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), the National Dairy Authority (NDA), the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), and the general public.