AFTER BAYANIHAN 2

Over 26,000 contact tracers already hired, deployed, says DILG

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Saturday said more than 26,872 contact tracers were hired and already deployed to local government units (LGUs) after the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act (Bayanihan 2) was signed into law.

“Even prior to the signing of the Bayanihan 2 Law, the DILG field offices were already preparing for the recruitment, hiring, and training  of the new contact tracers. And now, a few weeks after the signing of the law, more than 26,000 have already been hired and deployed to the various provinces,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said.

Under the Bayanihan 2, at least 50,000 contact tracers are to be hired by DILG as part of efforts to prevent the further transmission of COVID-19.

“I am confident that we will be able to meet the schedule of deploying the 50,000 even before the end of the month,” Año said.

This is on top of the 97,400 contact tracers already doing their work nationwide as of mid-September.

According to Año, there are 12,197 more applicants who have met the requirements and are being processed for employment as contact tracers.

“Bagaman matindi ang pangangailangan ng ating pamahalaan ng mga CT ay tinitiyak namin na ang lahat ng maha-hire ay qualified sa posisyon at nagpahayag ng commitment sa pinapasok nilang responsibilidad," he said.

Based on DILG data, the target hiring of contact tracers has so far been filled as follows:

• Luzon: 45% or 12,421
• Visayas: 69% or 6,234

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• Mindanao including BARMM: 62% or 8,217

DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said as of Oct. 9, a total of 62,112 have applied to various DILG field offices. 

He said this is “a clear manifestation that there are many Filipinos who are willing to help the government fight the unseen enemy.”

Malaya also called the contact tracers as "front liners" and "new normal heroes."

The DILG spokesperson said the contact tracers will be given complete personal protective equipment, medical supplies and other vital necessities needed.

The contact tracers will conduct interviews and profiling and perform an initial public health risk assessment of COVID-19 cases and their close contacts.

They will also refer close contacts to isolation facilities, conduct enhanced contact tracing in coordination with other agencies and the private sector, and monitor daily for at least 14 days the close and general contacts of COVID-19 cases.

Each contact tracer will receive a minimum salary of P18,784 per month on a contract of service status, the DILG said.

Contact tracers will be part of contact tracing teams led by municipal or city health officers, and with members coming from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTS), and volunteers from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). 

As of Saturday, the country's COVID-19 cases reached 336,926. Of this number, 276,094 have recovered while 6,238 died. —KG, GMA News