The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) granted clearance for the conduct of the of the 2021 Survey on Retail Prices of Household Goods and Services for the International Comparison Program (ICP).
The ICP is the largest worldwide data-collection initiative with the goal of producing Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs), defined as the amount of currency units required to purchase a common basket of goods and services for which one unit of the common/reference currency can purchase. The PPPs can be used to convert economic measures expressed in various national currencies into a common/reference currency, while also accounting for the differences in purchasing power of currencies. Along with the PPPs, the ICP also produces Price Level Indices (PLI) and other regionally comparable aggregates of Gross Domestic Expenditure (GDE).
As one of the basic data requirements in ICP, the survey will interview 96 sample retail outlets in the National Capital Region (NCR) to collect prices on the following sectors:
a. Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages;
b. Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics;
c. Clothing and Footwear;
d. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels;
e. Furnishing Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance;
f. Health;
g. Transport;
h. Communication;
i. Recreation and Culture;
j. Education;
k. Restaurants and Hotels; and
l. Miscellaneous Goods and Services.
The survey will be conducted in June, September, December 2021, and March 2022 with a total budget of PhP 5.8 million.
The 2021 Survey on Retail Prices of Household Goods and Services for the ICP was reviewed and cleared for conduct under the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS), a mechanism being implemented by the PSA by virtue of Rule 28 of Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 10625 to:
a. ensure sound design for data collection;
b. minimize the burden placed upon respondents;
c. effect economy in statistical data collection;
d. eliminate unnecessary duplication of statistical data collection efforts; and
e. achieve better coordination of government statistical activities.
In line with this, the PSA enjoins the selected retail outlets in NCR to support the survey by providing the required information. An authorized PSA interviewer will visit the retail outlets to conduct a personal interview.
For further information on SSRCS, please contact the Statistical Standards Division (SSD) of the Standards Service (SS) with telephone numbers
(02) 8376-1928 and (02) 8376-1931, and email addresses ssd.staff@psa.gov.ph and ssdss.staff@gmail.com.
DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General