The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is gearing up to conduct a National Migration Survey (NMS), the first of its kind since 2007-08, to gather essential data on the mobility of the Philippine population. The survey, which began on August 4 and will continue through September 5, 2025, aims to provide baseline information on both internal and international migration in the country.
The NMS seeks to estimate international and inter-regional migration flows and major migration streams. It will examine different types of migration and the characteristics of internal and international migrants to determine the levels, patterns, and processes of migration. The survey will also gather key data on lifetime migration, period migration, internal migration, and international migration levels and rates in the Philippines.
PSA Regional Director Wilma Perante said that the survey aims to gather vital data on the mobility of the Philippine population. The survey also seeks to determine the reasons for migrants' relocation and its impact on the communities they leave and the ones they move to. The PSA hopes to interview 393 sample households from various municipalities. About 45 and 89 percent of internal and international migration, respectively, are driven by employment.
The government has budgeted P85 million for the nationwide survey, with results expected to be released between June 5 and July 3, 2026. The PSA "strongly encourages all sampled individuals to actively participate in the survey by providing accurate and truthful information for data-driven migration management and policy formulation," the agency said.
The NMS has a national sample of about 45,000 housing units/households deemed sufficient to provide reliable estimates at the national and regional level. The sample housing units are selected from the 2023 geo-enabled master sample for household-based surveys of the PSA. In Negros Occidental, 491 sample households, and in the City of Bacolod, 489 sample households will be interviewed by PSA-hired Statistical Researchers and Supervisors.
The PSA assures the public that all information obtained during the survey will be kept confidential in accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and RA 10625. All personnel involved in this survey are required to keep in strict confidentiality any information obtained during the survey that pertains to any household or individual person.
Migration is a complex process shaped by demographic, social, cultural, and economic forces, and hence has important implications on regional development. Filipinos see migration as a way to improve their economic situation. Remittances from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have become a major contributor to the Philippine economy. In 2021, personal remittances from overseas Filipinos amounted to a record high of US$ 36.14 billion.
The survey results will provide information on the mobility of the Philippine population to assist policymakers and program managers in evaluating and designing strategies for improving services and assistance to people abroad or moving within the country. The PSA is appealing to the public to support its ongoing National Migration Survey (NMS) 2025. The PSA Board approved the conduct of NMS every 10 years starting 2025.
