The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will implement the Commercial Stocks Survey (CSS) starting in February 2021 to generate rice and corn stocks inventory held by the commercial sector. 

With the creation of Republic Act No. 11203 known as the Rice Tariffication Law, the CSS was transferred from the National Food Authority (NFA) to the PSA as per Section 3 Rule 3.5 of its Implementing Rules and Regulations.  The CSS was deemed to be transferred from the NFA to the PSA on July 1, 2020 but its implementation by the PSA was moved in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The information to be collected in the CSS, together with stocks information from the household, will be used to monitor stocks situation of the food staples to ensure supply and demand equilibrium, access, and price stability.  It will serve as inputs to the estimation and compilation of national accounts.  Information on stock holdings will also guide policymakers on when and how much import rice is needed especially in time of emergency.  Moreover, the survey also supports the data needs of planners, policy and decision makers, and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector particularly the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Agriculture (DA), NFA, and the general public. 

The CSS is a monthly survey to be carried out by the PSA starting February 2021 among grain businessmen or firms nationwide.  It will cover all provinces in the country except for Batanes and Davao Occidental.

PSA-La Union hired three Statistical Researchers (SRs) who will visit and interview a total of 63 grains businessmen composed of retailers, wholesalers, combined retailers and wholesalers, and warehousemen under the supervision of the Chief Statistical Specialist and the Provincial Focal Person.

The PSA enjoins the support and cooperation of sample firms in this endeavor by providing truthful, complete and accurate information to the SRs.  The respondents are assured that data to be collected in the survey shall be covered by the confidentiality of information clause under Section 26 of Republic Act 10625, which stipulates that individual data furnished by a respondent to statistical inquiries, surveys, and censuses of the PSA shall be considered privileged communication and as such shall be inadmissible as evidence in any proceeding. The PSA may release aggregated information from statistical inquiries, surveys and censuses in the form of summaries or statistical tables in which no reference to an individual, corporation, association, partnership, institution or business enterprise shall appear. 

The PSA also assures that all hired SRs are in good health condition and will abide with the health and safety protocols laid by the Local Government Units (LGUs) at all phases of the field operation. ###

SGD. DANITES E. TEÑIDO, Ph.D.
Chief Statistical Specialist