Advisory from the Government
Aquafarm Operators in Aklan Urged to Provide Truthful Data to PSA Enumerators
KALIBO, Aklan- The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Aklan calls on all aquafarm owners and operators in the province to extend their cooperation by providing truthful and complete information to PSA data collectors as the office conducts the 2026 Updating of the List of Aquaculture Farms this July until August of this year.
The ULAF is a nationwide listing activity being conducted by the PSA to establish and maintain an updated registry and statistical sampling frame of all active aquaculture operations in the country.
It aims to ensure that the PSA maintains a comprehensive and updated inventory of aquaculture farms nationwide, particularly in the province, which will serve as the basis for selecting samples for future aquaculture surveys.
Data collected in ULAF include the type and location of aquafarm, operator’s information, major cultured species, and the farm’s total area or production capacity. This information is essential in generating accurate and reliable quarterly fisheries statistics and in supporting policymakers, planners, and stakeholders in developing evidence-based programs related to agriculture, fisheries, and food security.
According to Dr. Peter S. Mangilog, Officer-in-Charge of PSA Aklan, the information provided by aquafarm owners and operators is vital to improving the quality, timeliness, and reliability of fisheries statistics, which serve as an essential basis for government planning, policy formulation, and decision-making in the aquaculture sector.
He encouraged aquafarm owners and operators who will be visited by PSA data collectors to actively participate in the activity and provide the necessary information to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the listing.
The 2026 ULAF covers all types of aquaculture farms, including fishponds, fishpens, fish cages, seaweed farms, oyster farms, mussel farms, fish tanks, hatcheries, rice-fish culture areas, and small farm reservoirs (SFR), whether the production is intended for commercial purposes or solely for household consumption.
Aside from gathering information about aquaculture operations, data collectors are also tasked to obtain the geographic coordinates or geotag points of each aquafarm to accurately identify their locations.
“Unlike other surveys, this activity is more challenging because our enumerators need to locate and geotag the aquafarms. When operators are not present in their farms, our data collectors need to visit their residences to obtain the required information, which adds to the complexity of the operation,” Mangilog explained.
In view of this, PSA Aklan is appealing for the continued cooperation and support of aquafarm owners, operators, and other stakeholders to ensure the smooth and successful implementation of the activity.
The PSA assures the public that all information collected during the 2026 ULAF will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will not be used for taxation, investigation, or any legal purposes, in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 10625 (Philippine Statistical Act of 2013) and other applicable laws on data privacy and confidentiality.
Around 35 PSA data collectors are currently deployed across the province of Aklan to conduct the updating activity and gather information from aquaculture operators.
