Questionnaire Text

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5 Years Old and Over


P12. What trade skills does [respondent] possess?
If none, enter "00" and skip to P14.
[41 categories are specified in the CP Form 2A Codes Sheet: see image]

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Specific Trade Skill (P12) and Manner Acquired (P13)

Trade skills refer to technical/vocational ability or knowledge developed or acquired which will enable an individual to generate income to meet at least their basic needs (e.g., at least food needs).

Trade skills further means an acquired and practiced ability to competently carry out a task or job, usually of a manual nature in any industrial, craft or artisan occupation which is officially or traditionally recognized as requiring special qualifications which can only be acquired through lengthy training, experience, and practical or theoretical instructions.

In the POPCEN, trade skills include vocational skills, agricultural skills, technical skills, food trades, and fishery art.

The basic criterion to consider an ability or knowledge as skill is that such ability or knowledge should have been actually harnessed to earn a living. Thus, a person who has gained knowledge about a craft by observation but was not able to harness it or to acquire competence by getting employed will not be considered as having skill.

Take note of the following cases:

1. Only agricultural and fishery skills which have scientific or technical applications like orchid growing, tilapia culture, plant hybrid, etc. are considered trade skills. Thus, plain farming like rice farming, coconut farming, fishing, etc. will not be considered agricultural skills.

2. Basketball playing, artistic ability and similar talents are not considered as skills unless they are or have been actually utilized for income generation.

3. Housekeeping, cooking, waitering, bar tendering can be considered as skills only if the person has been employed in institutions and earned income from such activity. Thus, housekeeping and cooking in own home or in private households are not considered skills.


The Codes Sheet (CP Form 2A) lists 41 different trade skills and their two-digit codes which you should use in recording the responses to this item.

[p. 100 ]

For all household members listed who are at least five years old, ask the respondent the question, "What trade skill does _________ possess?" If the respondent names more than one skill, ask for the major skill which is the skill that would be most useful for making a livelihood. Enter the appropriate two-digit code in column P12 and GO TO P13. If a member has no trade skill, enter "00" and SKIP TO P14.

For each household member with a reported trade skill ask "How was the trade skill acquired?" There are three pre-printed choices possible, namely:
1. Schooling/Training
2. Experience/Apprenticeship
3. Others (self-study, special tutoring of relatives)


Livelihood skills acquired through schooling refer to skills derived through formal attendance in any vocational, technical, agricultural or rural, commercial or secretarial school, usually lasting for about 6 months to 3 years.

Skills acquired through training refer to skills learned through attendance in non-formal short-term course in manipulative skills. The training is essentially aimed at providing the skills, knowledge and attitudes required for employment in any occupation or field of economic activity.

Livelihood skills acquired through experience refer to skills gained through a long practice of trade without the benefit of formal schooling or training.

Skills acquired through apprenticeship refer to skills gained by undergoing some sort of training in a factory, shop, office, etc. where a person applied for a job or for practical training to develop his competence in his chosen trade. This may include the pre-service training and service training. Pre-service training refers to the training usually given to applicants by establishments or offices for certain jobs or types of work. After training, some immediately get a job, depending on the number of vacant positions. Others who are not absorbed or employed, serve as pool/reserve of manpower from which the company draws trained persons to fill vacancies in the future. Service training refers to training given to newly employed person

[p. 101]

or to an old employee assuming a new position along the work he/she will perform in a company or office.

A person who has already acquired his skills through experience before he/she underwent formal training shall be reported under code 2 -- Experience/ Apprenticeship.

Use code 3 -- Others for skills acquired through observation but harnessed through employment as the basic source of knowledge and not 2 -- Experience/apprenticeship.

Enter the appropriate code in column P13.