The National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction is currently conducting a special enumeration and validation of poor households in the three barangays in the municipality of Palompon, Leyte starting December 11 to 18, 2012.

Municipal Mayor Ramon Oñate proposed for the enumeration of the residents of Barangay Belen, Barangay Central III and the validation thru the on-demand-application (ODA) for Barangay Lomonon. These barangays were not included in the 2009 enumeration which resulted to the exclusion of residents from social programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, particularly the Pantawid Pamilya. This prompted complaints from residents of these barangays.

A total of 234 households are scheduled for special enumeration and revalidation, 145 for Barangay Central III, 81 for Barangay Belen and eight for Barangay Lomonon.

As reported by Merla Lianza, municipal social worker, Barangay Belen is a far-flung mountainous area that is only accessible thru single motorbike or the locally called Habal-habal making it hard for enumerators to reach the area. Fear-provoking hearsays about the area also prevented previous enumerators from conducting the survey.

According to Rebecca Mendoza, staff of the Municipality Social Welfare and Development Office, the area is known for witchcraft and other forms of supernatural practices. Yet, Mendoza added that there is nothing to be scared of as these stories are untrue. This time, the new enumerators have been assured that such stories are unfounded. They are also provided assistance from the barangay chairman.

For Barangay Central III, failure of the previous enumeration could be attributed to the lack of dedication from previous workers.