I RESIGNED from my last job as Executive Secretary in a food supplement marketing company that

is based in Ortigas, Pasig City to prepare myself for my first child delivery.
At first, I knew that I could easily look for another job but after a couple of years, I realized that
time has changed. Jobs are scarce-- and I can compare it to a breakfast meal. I can say that it's like a
'daing with sliced tomato with patis as additional seasoning' instead of 'bread with hotdog and egg.' In
short, it is hard to look for a decent earning with living wage.
But of course, such stigma won't stop me from continuing my life. I had to find an alternative
solution to feed my family-- from establishing our own family business in front of our home until a
close friend of mine asked me if I want to work with National Statistics Office or NSO.
At first, I thought it would be a bad idea to work in a government office due to negative
publicity like low salary, late pay, stubborn bosses, etc. But I said to myself, if my friend referred it to
me, then it must be a different scenario from what I hear to the public and even with negative publicity
from mass media. From that point, I was given two options-- first, to give it a try or second, to grab it
because I did not have a choice.
Well, I did not choosed any of the two options because deep inside, I know that this is an
'opportunity' for me. An opportunity that will knock only once and if I will not grab it, it will be given
to another person who might be more worthy than me or that is not worthy at all.
DURING the training, I learned a lot of new things like how to deal with people, specifically on how
to initially approach them and how to take control if they do not want to be asked any questions. I also
learned the value of team work and luxury of time.
After our training, we were divided into team and given our quota as our parameter to see if we
deserve to be an NSO Enumerator. Personally speaking, I like my job title because it is unique to my
liking and when I researched about it online, I was awed because in the United States, their
Enumerators are one of the most indispensable job in their government.
ACCORDING to an article written in eHow1, one of the responsibilities of an enumerator is to act 'as
front-line workers for the U.S. Census Bureau, enumerators handle most of the face-to-face contacts
between the bureau and the public. Their duties include encouraging compliance with the census,
interviewing respondents, testing the accuracy of survey data and performing administrative tasks
related to census business.'
Providing Information to Census Planners
The U.S. government relies on accurate census counts, taken every 10 years, for a variety of
purposes, and as field workers, enumerators shoulder much of the responsibility for ensuring that
people get counted. Even before the actual counting takes place, enumerators canvass their areas and
gather information about where people live so that the Census Bureau can plan the count neighborhood
by neighborhood.
Interview Members of the Public
During the census itself, enumerators interview respondents on their doorsteps or in their
homes. These interviews follow a script and enumerators ask questions exactly as those questions
1

http://www.ehow.com/info_8413868_census-enumerator-responsibilities.html

appear on paper census forms. Responses are recorded on hand-held computers. Enumerators may also
explain the reasons for the census and answer any other relevant questions.
Recording and Verifying Census Data
Enumerators interview people at home for two reasons. First, some households do not return
census forms, in which case, enumerators may have to visit in person to collect the missing data.
According to a 2010 Census Bureau press briefing, enumerators "will repeatedly visit a household that
they've been assigned; three personal visits, three telephone calls, in many cases." Second, enumerators
must also verify the information on returned census forms. Although they cannot confirm the accuracy
of every form, they carry out quality control checks on a sampling of households.
Administrative Responsibilities
The job of a enumerator also includes some administrative tasks, such as accounting for travel
and other expenses. They also meet regularly with census administrators to get directions and report on
progress.
GIVEN the above responsibilities, I realized that being an Enumerator here in the Philippines is almost
the same in the United States.
The only difference is our personal experience like we are being chased by neighborhood pets,
swayed away because we were mistaken as part of KAPAMILYA or KAPUSO due to our vest, falling
on the ground while walking due to stooped road (I remember one kid laughed at me and said, 'Ate,
rocky yung road, parang ice cream lang! Haha!').
Also, one of the experiences I can think of while performing my duties is I am bringing my own
pack lunch or baon to save my little money while waiting for my salary. We were told that after we
finished our quota and submitted all our requirements, that is the only time the finance department will
process our pay (but I prefer calling it as a reward because the experience and opportunity given by
NSO to me is priceless!)
IF I will be asked if I still want to work with NSO or any other government agencies, I can easily now
say-- yes, I want to.