Gov't eyes P17-B funding for hiring of 50,000 contact tracers

The government will earmark P17 billion for the hiring of 50,000 contact tracers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday.

Roque made the announcement a day after Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said that the country is still short of 76,000 contact tracers and that funding issues are hampering the hiring of needed qualified contact tracers.

“Itong budget po nito, kinakailangan pa ng batas para gastusin. Isasama po ito sa Bayanihan 2,” Roque said in an interview on Unang Hirit.

Bayanihan 2 is the second bill which will supplant the expired Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, a law that allowed President Rodrigo Duterte to realign P275 billion of 2020 national budget for COVID-19 response.

Bayanihan 2, however, is yet to be approved or deliberated upon in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Roque then assured the public that Bayanihan 2 is expected to be passed and enacted into law soon but could not give an exact date.

“Halos tapos na po ang negosasyon ng Ehekutibo at Kongreso, maisusulong na po itong Bayanihan 2,” Roque said.

“At dahil malapit na po matapos ang kasunduan, hihingi po ng special session ang Ehekutibo para maaprubahan po ito ng Kongreso,” Roque added.

Congress is on break until the third Monday of July when Duterte delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address. —Llanesca T. Panti/KBK, GMA News