Technical notes on the PSNA are published in the NSCB website for a better appreciation of our national accounts. Reference should also be made to the earlier technical notes for the current national accounting practices adopted in the Philippines.

Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry (AFF)

The gross value added (GVA) estimates for agriculture and fishery are based on the data provided by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), which include production and price data for agricultural crops, livestock and poultry, commercial and municipal fishing, aquaculture, and other fishery products. However, GVA estimates for sugarcane are derived using production data from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA). In national accounts, agriculture also includes the provision of agricultural services on a fee or contract basis and other agricultural activities, such as horticulture and landscape gardening. Agricultural services include operation of irrigation system, pest and disease control, artificial insemination, harvesting, grading and packing of crops, and the provision of agricultural equipment together with operators.

For forestry, GVA estimate is based on the log production data of the Forest Management Bureau (FMB). The present estimates for AFF incorporate the revised data from the BAS from 2000 to 2002.

Mining and Quarrying

The present Quarterly National accounts (QNA) series (from CY 2000 onwards) for the mining sector now includes the natural gas production of San Antonio Power Plant and Malampaya Gas–to-Power Project plus its condensate production. Commercial sales of natural gas and condensate of Malampaya started in January 2002 while the San Antonio Power Plant started production of natural gas in 1994. The production of San Antonio from 1994 to 1999 will be incorporated in the QNA as part of the overall revision of the PSNA.

Exports and Imports

The primary data source for merchandise export/import is the Foreign Trade Statistics (FTS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO). As a result of the recommendations made by an interagency Task Force on the Revision of Import Statistics, the NSO made revisions on merchandise imports for CY2000 –2002. These revisions covering the electronic products, which form part of imports on consignment are now reflected in the accounts.

The estimates for export/import of non-factor services, rely basically on the Balance of Payments (BOP) from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), except for the travel item under the imports of non-factor services which is independently estimated using indicators from the Department of Tourism (DOT). Some adjustments are made by the NSCB for undercoverage for some items. The present QNA publication includes the revisions in the BOP plus the revisions in the NSO figures for freight and insurance provided directly by residents.

Population Figures Used in the Accounts

For per capita computation purposes, the population figures used in the present PSNA publication (as of May 2003) are population estimates based on the approved the NSCB Resolution No.2 Series of 2002 calling for the adoption by all concerned of the decennial population census-based annual growth rates as the official population growth rate figures to be utilized for planning and policy-making purposes.

Revisions as of May 2003

In line with the PSNA Revision Policy (NSCB Resolution No. 8-97) which provides for the updating of the quarterly accounts for each quarterly estimation round to be limited to the immediately preceding quarter, and for the rest of the past quarters to be done only during the May round of estimates, the May 2003 series of the QNA shows the revisions done for CY2001-2002

Revisions were based on more complete data, availability of new sources of data as well as on the revisions made by the data sources themselves. Data sources that have major revisions are as follows:

• Agriculture production data, Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS)

• Balance of Payments, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)

• Mineral production data, particularly for nickel, Mines & Geo-Sciences Bureau (MGB)

• Forestry data, Forest Management Bureau (FMB)

• Merchandise import statistics, National Statistics Office (NSO)

• Deployment data of OFW, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)

Aside from the above, the 2001 Annual Financial Commission on Audit (COA) Report was also utilized.

The estimates most affected by the revisions were those for Construction and NFIA, particularly, Property Expense. For more details, a table on the sources of revision is included in the publication of the National Accounts of the Philippine (as of May 2003).

For inquiries please contact Dir. Raymundo J. Talento at (632) 895-2425 or e-mail him at rj.talento@nscb.gov.ph.