Apart from counting votes in the country's much-awaited first automated elections, the government is also set to undertake the once-a-decade population and housing count next month.

Last month, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Proclamation No. 2028, declaring May 2010 as the National Census Month.

In the proclamation, the President directed all government offices, including government-owned and controlled corporations and local government units, to implement and execute the operational plans and directives of the National Statistical Coordination Board through the National Statistics Office (NSO).

"The 2010 Census of Population and Housing is designed to take an inventory of the population and housing units in the country and collect information about their characteristics," the proclamation read.

This year’s national census will be conducted in May 2010, with May 1 as reference date, which is in compliance with Batas Pambansa (BP) Blg.72. Enacted into law in 1980, BP Blg. 72, mandates the NSO to conduct population census every 10 years beginning 1980.

"The national government’s thrust to decentralize functions to the local government units requires an up-to-date and comprehensive data of the population at the local levels," the proclamation read.

Also signed by the Chief Executive was Proclamation No. 2027, declaring April 5 to 11 as "Hog Farmers Week" in recognition of their contribution to the country’s food security.

"There is a need to strengthen the hog farmers’ livelihood through best practices in animal production and vigilance in animal health amidst challenges affecting the swine industry while striving to produce good quality animals, meat, and meat products for market to an increasing Filipino population," the proclamation read.

The week-long event also sought to protect and promote the interest of hog farmers as well as enhance the opportunities for safety and profitability of the multi-billion-peso hog industry.

"Hog farmers need to be recognized for their major contribution to the livestock industry and their means to rate high per capita consumption of the Filipino as well as their important role in the government’s effort towards food sufficiency," it added.

Along side with this, National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI) is set to hold its 19th Hog Convention and Trade Exhibits on April 8 to 10 at the Bangko ng Sentral ng Pilipinas in Davao City.

The event, which gathers thousands of hog raisers from across the country, carries the theme "Ensuring survival through efficiency and improved pork production."

NFHFI is an organization of 48 livestock associations with a total membership of more than 5,000 hog farmers.