By NEIL RAMOS
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Sarah Geronimo will be the face of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) population and housing census scheduled September this year.
The campaign was originally scheduled May but was moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to PSA officials, the singer-actress was unanimously picked to spearhead the campaign due to her “massive influence.”
Florante Varona, officer-in-charge, National Censuses Service, said: “There was no other choice. From the beginning, we already had Sarah Geronimo in mind. She is known to most Filipinos from all walks of life. As such, we believe her to be perfect for the job.”
Joseph Cajita, population and housing division chief, said: “Sarah is very relatable. People easily identify with her. Sarah was and is our only choice to lead the campaign.”
Minette Esquivias, Assistant National Statistician, added: “It helps to have a popular figure leading the campaign because it gives the project more weight. People will definitely be more interested when they see their idol endorsing the campaign.”
The PSA infomercial which runs a few seconds, shows Sarah convincing people to participate in the census, telling them how beneficial it is in assessing the country’s needs.
Cajita said working with Sarah was both easy and fun.
“The shoot took us almost a day to finish but she never complained. She was fun and bubbly all throughout. She came prepared, with all her lines memorized,” he said.
Sarah is the first celebrity to be featured in the campaign.
“Prior to this, the government usually picked politicians,” said Esquivias.
Once, she said, it was the late Senator Nene Pimentel who was picked for the campaign.
“They were all successful but I really do believe with Sarah Geronimo onboard, we will have another fruitful run,” she said.