The Philippine Statistics Authority – Regional Statistical Services Office I (PSA – RSSO I) conducts the 2021 Updating of the List of Establishments (ULE) in the Ilocos Region on 10 May 2021 to 31 July 2021.

The 2021 ULE is a nationwide undertaking that aims to provide an updated and reliable sampling frame for the census and surveys of establishments and enterprises. It also aims to capture the changes in the distribution and characteristics of establishment business units due to the emerging industries and the current business trends. This nationwide updating activity will cover all 42,046 barangays in the country from which 26,733 barangays are known as the 2021 ULE barangays. The activity is necessary to assess the changes brought by the pandemic and some natural calamities that happened in 2020.

Door-to-door canvassing of business economic units will be involved to capture "new" establishments and determine their characteristics for inclusion in the list, update the characteristics of those establishments already listed, and tag the establishments' records with its current status code.

Furthermore, the 2021 ULE aims to provide the following: a) updated and reliable frame for the establishment- and enterprise-based surveys; b) updated list of establishments/enterprises with information on their characteristics; c) updated livestock and poultry establishment frame; d) distribution of establishments/enterprises; e) information on business births and deaths and other business demographic indicators, and f) list of emerging industries.

Amidst the 2019 Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, minimum public health and safety protocols during all phases of the field operations will be strictly observed.

In line with this, the PSA enjoins all establishment business units to support the nationwide conduct of the 2021 Updating of the List of Establishments (ULE) by providing the required information. An authorized PSA interviewer will visit the establishment to conduct a personal interview. If a personal interview is not possible, options to provide information through other modes are available such as Self-Administered Questionnaire in either printed form or fillable-pdf format; Accomplishment of Online Inquiry Form; and, thru telephone interview.