Law prohibits integration of contact tracing into nat'l census —NEDA chief

The 2020 national census which will start in September cannot be utilized for contact tracing of COVID-19 cases, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief Karl Kendrick Chua said Wednesday.

During a Senate hearing led by the Committee on Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlement, Chua said that the census was rescheduled from May to September because of the enhanced community quarantine.

"We are now starting the census in September. So, this is on track to begin in September. This is an important activity that even during the GCQ (general community quarantine) we will proceed, so long as we don't have a worsening of the quarantine status," he said.

He assured that coordination with the local government units are already ongoing.

Senator Francis Tolentino inquired if contact tracing for COVID-19 can be integrated in the census.

"Can't the census be linked with our contact tracing program? Kasi nagha-house-to-house ka na rin eh di ba? So isang gastusan na lang 'yan... isahang trabaho na lang," the lawmaker asked.

Chua said the law does not permit the said suggestion.

"The Philippine Statistics Act is very clear of the confidentiality of the data at the individual level so the purpose of all Philippine Statistics Authority statistics is for general statistical purposes," he said.

"Unfortunately, by law, we cannot have a targeting at the individual level. That's why the targeting is done separately under a different program called the Listahanan of the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development)," he added.

Under the Bayanihan 2 bill, now up for President Rodrigo Duterte's signature, P5 billion has been earmarked for the hiring of contact tracers in the country. The Department of the Interior and Local Government will be in charge of the said budget.—LDF, GMA News