Over 26,000 contact tracers deployed to LGUs, DILG says
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government announced Monday that some 26,872 contact tracers have been hired and deployed to local governments across the country.
The figure still falls less than half of the department's Luzon target of 50,000 as prescribed in the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, the law granting President Rodrigo Duterte sweeping special powers.
This was confirmed in a statement Thursday morning by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, who added that provincial and city offices of the department are still processing applications to hit the target, which has been set since late August.
According to the department's data, 45% or 12,421 of the target contact tracers to be hired in Luzon have been employed; 69% or 6,234 for Visayas; and, 62% or 8,217 for Mindanao including BARMM.
“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,” Año said.
“I am confident that we will be able to meet the schedule of deploying the 50,000 even before the end of the month,” he added.
The World Health Organization recommends a ratio of one contact tracer for every 800 people.
It has also advised governments across the globe to focus on testing, contact tracing, maintaining physical distance, and wearing a mask, which it said were “the basics of public health," instead of waiting for potential vaccines against the pathogen.
Año in his statement added that an additional 12,197 applicants have also complied with the requirements of the position and are currently being processed for employment.
“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.
(Although our government is in dire need of CTs, we ensure that all recruits are qualified for the position and express commitment to the responsibilities they are entering.)
As of October 9, a total of 62,112 applications have been received by DILG field offices, which the department said was “a clear manifestation that there many Filipinos who are willing to help the government fight the unseen enemy.”
The DILG in its statement also assured the 50,000 contact tracers that as "new normal frontliners," they will be provided with all the essential equipment and tools including personal protective equipment, medical supplies and other necessities in the performance of their duties.
Among their responsibilities are to conduct interviews, profiling and public health risk assessments of coronavirus cases and their identified contacts.
They will also be tasked with referring close contacts to isolation facilities and conducting enhanced contact tracing in collaboration with other agencies and private sector and daily monitoring of close and general contacts for at least 14 days.
Contact tracing teams are led by the municipal or city health officers with members from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams and volunteers from civil society organizations.
Under the guidelines set by the DILG, contact tracers will earn a minimum of P18,784 per month on a contract of service status.
READ: Philippines sees 3,564 new COVID-19 cases; total now over 342,000
In its latest tally on Monday afternoon, the health department said that the national caseload stands at 342,816, bringing the Philippines to the 18th spot for coronavirus cases globally.
Worldwide, over 11 million coronavirus cases have been recorded, leading to over 530,000 deaths, according to latest data from the World Health Organization.
Over half a year—209 days—since the imposition of enhanced community quarantine in the Philippines, the national government continues to struggle with halting the spread of the new pathogen, often trumpeting the narrative that the uphill battle is actually a winning one and asserting that thinking otherwise is a “wrong view.” — Franco Luna
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