Tacloban City (March 22) -- The National Statistics Office in the province of Leyte is set to conduct two surveys, the 2008 Annual Survey on Philippine Business and Industry and 2008 Survey and on Information and Communication Technology this April 2009.

Ms. Wilma A. Perante, Provincial Statistics Officer, said that questionnaires will be personally delivered to the 256 ASPBI sample establishments and to the 124 SICT sample establishments in the province of Leyte.

The ASPBI is a nationwide undertaking which aims to provide data on the structure and level of economic activity in the country.

The data collected from the ASPBI will constitute bases upon which the government and the private sector can formulate policies and evolve economic development plans.

On the other hand, the 2008 SICT of Philippine Business and Industry, is a rider to the 2008 ASPBI which aims to collect and generate information on the availability, distribution and access or utilization of ICT among industries and business in the country.

The data collected for the 2008 SICT will be valuable in measuring progress in information and communication technology of the country to help decision-makers in both public and private sectors in developing policy measures and making private investment in ICT.

Ms. Perante expressed hope that the sample establishments will cooperate on these two surveys.

She said that respondents are given assurance that the data to be gathered will be held strictly confidential and will not be used for purposes of taxation, investigation or enforcement procedure, nor will it be published except in the form of statistical summaries in which no reference to any establishment shall appear.