Magalong laughs off 'offer' to be COVID-19 tracing czar

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong just laughed off Tuesday presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s question if he would accept the position of COVID-19 tracing czar.

This was after Magalong presented during the Malacanang press briefing Baguio City’s contact tracing system which is considered as one of the best in the country.

“Last question: Kung ibibigay sa inyo ang posisyon ng tracing czar, willing ba kayong magbitiw bilang mayor?” Roque asked Magalong before the briefing ended.

Magalong laughed and replied: “Mr. Secretary, ang tracing czar po natin si Usec. Bernie Florece na po. Sumusunod na lang po ako sa kaniya.”

The Baguio City mayor said many local government units also have effective contact tracing system.

“Magugulat po kayo, Secretary, na marami rin pong mga best practices ang ibang LGUs, hindi lang po naha-highlight,” he said.

Magalong further said Baguio City is willing to share to other local government units its contact tracing technology.

“Ang local government ng Baguio ay willing pong i-share itong mga technology namin sa contact tracing. Makipag-ugnayan lang po kayo sa aming opisina at willing po kaming tanggapin po iyong gustong mag-immerse po rito para maturuan po namin iyong inyong mga IT specialists at mga contact tracer,” he said.

In his presentation, Magalong, a former Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director, said the city’s system uses cognitive interviews, a GIS platform, and analytical tools.

He said they subject the first level contacts of a COVID-19 positive patient to rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) to have a process of elimination. This way, authorities could focus only on first level contacts that tested positive to the virus, even with their limited resources.

He added they are convincing COVID-positive patients to be transparent with their case.

"Importante po 'yung transparency kaya po natin kinukumbinsi kaagad 'yung positive case na banggitin niya 'yung kaniyang identity sa publiko," he said.

Magalong said Baguio City investigators have undergone cognitive interview training, similar to that of the CIDG, to help patients recall incidents leading to their infection.

“Ang maganda po rito sa training na ito, nadi-develop po iyong ability ng investigator to help an interviewee, a witness, na ma-recall po niya iyong mga insidenteng nangyari. Can you just imagine, iyong atin pong positive case ay kalimitan po iyan conflicted, ang taas po ng anxiety level niyan, litung-lito po iyan. Kaya can you just imagine, kung ini-interview po ninyo iyan, wala po sa tamang isipan, hindi po siya rational. Kaya dito po papasok iyong skill na ito ng isang investigator,” he said.

In the technology aspect, the Baguio City mayor said the LGU uses a GIS platform similar to the crime information research and analysis system, and link analysis patterned after the case management and analysis system he developed during his time at the CIDG.

Magalong showed how the GIS platform, a special technology used for crime mapping, works to identify the COVID-19 cases in Baguio City.

The Baguio City map at the GIS application could be zoomed in and out, where all the particular information about the COVID-19 cases could be seen.

"Ginagamit po namin ito 'pag nag-lockdown kami para ma-identify namin 'yung extent ng potential infection sa isang barangay," Magalong said.

The link analysis, meanwhile, demonstrates the trends and patterns on how a patient could infect or transfer the virus to others through their daily activities.

The technical experts consist of about 12 personnel from the PNP, LGU, and Bureau of Fire Protection.

Magalong already previously urged local chief executives of areas where no cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had been recorded to start forming contact tracing teams.

As of May 25 at 6 p.m., there have been 32 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Baguio City, with two active, 29 recovered, and one death.—AOL, GMA News