QC gov't asks PSA to correct 2020 census data

The local government of Quezon City has appealed to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to validate its 2020 census data.

The city government made the call after PSA reported that the population of Quezon City grew only by 23,932 or 0.17 percent annually from 2,936,116 to 2,960,048 for year 2015-2020

“Napaka-imposible ng resulta ng census na ito. Paanong nangyari na ganun lang ang itinaas ng aming populasyon, na malayong-malayo sa datos na nakalap ng aming Civil Registry Department (The result of this census is very impossible. The figure is far from the data gathered by our Civil Registry Department),” Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a statement.

Belmonte said the City Civil Registry Department has recorded 333,468 registered births and 115,810 deaths for the last five years.

“Even if you subtract the deaths, we have a difference of more than 200,000. Kaya ang malaking tanong dito, saan nakuha ng PSA ang kanilang mga numero (So the big question here is where did the PSA get their numbers)?,” Belmonte said.

"Wala naman nangyaring mass exodus ng mga QCitizens mula sa aming lungsod in the last five years sa pagkakaalam naming (There has been no mass exodus of QCitizens from our city in the last five years as far as we know),” she added.

Belmonte said the numbers presented by PSA will affect the services that the city provides to its residents and mostly the financial assistance given by the national government.

She also said the PSA evaluators must closely coordinate with barangay officials regarding its report that some barangays lost 30 to 54 percent of their population.

“The buildings and houses are still there and there are ongoing constructions. Saan napunta ang tao? (It’s) unrealistic that up to 54 percent of the population vanished. And this happened in not just one barangay but multiple barangays,” Belmonte said.

The city mayor has called on the members of Congress to help the local government get to the bottom of the problem.

"We hope this disservice to the people of the city would be given immediate attention," she said.