With Listahanan coming close to finishing the household assessment of the five provinces of Region 2, it is only fitting to look back at what has transpired, the challenges, the triumphs and everything in between that readies each and every one for the next phase of the 2nd Round of Household Assessment.
Since the experience is diverse, I decided to take a look at the assessment from the perspective of a single individual, focusing on what that person felt and experienced from working for Listahanan.
The Fellow
Mr. Aljon B. Gomez is just like every fresh graduate, eager to work for any company or institution that would accept him and try to prove to everyone that he belongs and that he can make it on his own.
While working for DSWD FO2 wasn’t his initial goal, he wanted to try and see if the department will accept him and if he will be given an opportunity to start his career here.
He didn’t really think that he will be accepted after the initial interview but deep down, he thought that he actually showed who he really was so if he will be accepted, great, but if not, at least he didn’t try to be somebody else just to land the job that he aspires for.
“Hindi ko naman alam na makakapasok ako dito dati, nagpakatotoo lang talaga ako nun sa interview… basta kung may tinanong, sagutin mo ng diretso tapos kung ma-impress sila sa sagot mo, maganda,” Mr. Gomez said.
Being true to one’s self can unlock capabilities previously unknown to a person, the more you become true to your strengths and gifts, the better you will become.
Advocating Change
Mr. Gomez didn’t really know a lot about the job that he got accepted to when he began the long and demanding process of assessment but once he got to fully understand the importance of his position, he was able to feel the sense of responsibility that it requires and the potential change that he can contribute to the lives of the poor.
He saw poor people begging for assistance and the more he saw those things, the more entrenched he became in making sure that the needy people will be part of the list of poor households that will get to be potential beneficiaries of social protection programs and services from various National Government Agencies (NGAs), Local Government Units (LGUs), academes and private companies.
“Nung nakita ko yung forms na ine-encode dito sa office na galing sa area na in-assess namin, naalala ko yung mga taong in-assess namin sa field at nandun yung sense of accomplishment sa parte ko na nandun ako na nakatulong sa kanila para makapasok sa project na ito,” Mr. Gomez said.
Earning for yourself and proving that you can make it on your own while at the same time doing something for the benefit of the needy people is the best of both worlds and people can’t really hope for more than this.
Herculean Task
Mr. Gomez did encounter difficulties while he was in the field and since he was facing these difficulties at the formative stage of his working career it was, to put it simply, an abysmal experience. But rather than give up to the pressures and take the easy way out, he persevered, knowing that he will learn from this experience whether he succeeds or fails at the task given to him.
He at one time had to deal with two barangay captains fighting about who should manage a piece of land that is strategically located between the barangays of the two warring captains and as a young person just trying to do his job right, it was a jarring but nonetheless educational experience for Mr. Gomez.
But he shares that the assessment that they did led to an arrangement from the two captains to stop fighting for the piece of land to make way for the assessment to run its course. It was great as Mr. Gomez would put it to have had a hand through Listahanan to have these captains make amends.
“Meron nangyaring land dispute tapos di (ko) alam kung kanino (ako) kakampi sa dalawang kapitan… tapos nung nag-assess kami nagkaroon sila ng arrangement para lang sa project na ito, atleast kahit lang sa project na ito ay nagkaroon sila ng pagkakasunduan,” Mr. Gomez explains.
Learning through Experience
Mr. Gomez claims that before working for DSWD, he didn’t really know what DSWD’s vision and mission is and his initial impression of the department is an institution that gives relief goods to the needy people when they need it and where they need it.
However superficial his impression may seem, it gradually changed the deeper he got into the assessment and he saw just how vital DSWD FO2’s role is in guaranteeing the well-being and development of people, which can be seen in stratified levels.
“Hindi ko naman talaga alam yung vision and mission ng department na ito. Dati kasi fresh graduate lang ako (at) yung eagerness ko para magtrabaho ang pinakaimportante… habang nagtatrabaho ako dito sa job order ko ay nalaman ko kung gaano kahalaga yung papel ng agency na ito at kung papalarin na maging permanente ako dito, magiging maganda yun,” Mr. Gomez said.
The Road Ahead
It still is a long way to go before the assessment as a whole is completed but it’s good to look back every now and then and look for encouraging stories of people to serve as an inspiration to look forward and continue the march to change, change in the way we help poor people, change in the way they are treated, change in the way we identify them and change in the way we move forward and take the poor people along for the ride. ### Written by Chester Carlo M. Trinidad, Listahanan Information Officer