The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), through its Standards Service (SS), has officially granted clearance for the conduct of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council’s (ACPC) “2024 Small Farmers and Fisherfolk Indebtedness Survey (SFFIS)”.

The 2024 SFFIS specifically aims to determine the incidence, nature, extent, and status of borrowings of small farmers and fisherfolk (SFF); analyze the credit and other financing requirements of SFF; examine SFF’s accessibility and usage of financial services; find out the view of SFF and financing card and other forms of financial services and identify measures to improve SFF’s access to affordable credit and other financial services.

With an allocated budget of approximately PhP 15.8 million, the survey will cover 2,050 individuals.

The survey will collect key data on the demographic profile of sample SFF, farm and fishing operation, indebtedness of SFF in 2024, awareness, accessibility, and usage of formal financial services (other than credit), plans and outlook with regards to the credit/financial requirements of SFF respondents for the following year whether for his/farming activity, income generating activities.

Data collection for the survey is scheduled from April to August 2025, with the survey results anticipated to be released in December 2025.

The “2024 Small Farmers and Fisherfolk Indebtedness Survey” was reviewed and cleared for conduct under the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS). This mechanism is implemented by the PSA by virtue of Rule 28 of Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10625 to:

    1. Ensure sound design for data collection
    2. Minimize the burden placed upon respondents 
    3. Effect economy in statistical data collection 
    4. Eliminate unnecessary duplication of statistical data collection efforts 
    5. Achieve better coordination of government statistical activities

The PSA strongly encourages all sampled individuals to actively participate in the 2024 SFFIS by providing accurate and truthful information for data-driven evaluation of expanding access to affordable credit.

For more information on SSRCS, visit https://psa.gov.ph/ssrcs or contact the PSA SS Statistical Standards Division via email at ssd.ssrcs@psa.gov.ph.

CLAIRE DENNIS S. MAPA, PhD
Undersecretary 
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General