When she heard of a job opening for enumerators for the DSWD’s Listahanan Targeting System, 24-year-old Camille Sarmiento took a chance.

A graduate of Practical Nursing and still dreaming to pursue a Biology course, Camille, a resident of Brgy. Talisoy (Poblacion), Jomalig, Quezon Province, saw the job opportunity to save money for her education.

A few months into the job, however, Camille sees a different meaning to what she is doing—a cause that she finds as equally important as her dream of a good life for herself.

Camille is one of the 2,307 field staff hired by the DSWD as part of the 2015 Listahanan assessment of poor households in the CALABARZON Region.

The Listahanan Targeting System identifies who and where the poor are nationwide through house-to-house interviews conducted by enumerators like her.

She is assigned in Jomalig together with three other enumerators. For this 2015 assessment, there is a targeted 1,515 households to be assessed in the said municipality.

According to Camille, the every day challenges she faces just to reach even the remotest households in the barangay can be burdensome at times.

“Nakakapagod din yung pag-iinterview araw-araw. Makakaupo kami saglit para mag-interview, tapos babyahe na kami ulit. Kapag malayo pa ang pagitan ng mga bahay, may halos isang oras ang byahe,” shared Camille, who usually rides a habal-habal to reach households to be assessed.

Despite this, Camille is still glad she is part of the assessment.

“Alam ko na sa pamamagitan ng pag-iinterview ko, mabibigyan ko ng pagkakataon na matulungan ang mga nangangailangan dito sa aming bayan. Kaya lagi kong inaayos ang trabaho ko,” she shared.

As an enumerator, it is important that Camille does her work of gathering and recording of information from households correctly. It is from the said assessment that the DSWD can identify the poor and come up with a list or database of poor households nationwide.

This list of poor households, which will be generated after the assessment period, will serve as the basis in the selection of beneficiaries of programs for the poor not only of the DSWD but as well as other national government agencies.

The DSWD also encourages local government units and private organizations to use this database in the targeting of beneficiaries for social protection programs.

Today, Camille sees this goal of the Listahanan targeting system as an inspiration to do her job better. For her, being part of the Listahanan household assessment is a gift not only for herself anymore but for her fellow Jomaligins, especially those in need.#