The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Thursday Metro Manila needs more than 10,000 additional contact tracers with the surging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the area.
“Sa Metro Manila, may 13 million na tao (In Metro Manila there are 13 million people). We have around 4,000 contact tracers so we would need to hire more than 10,000 contact tracers in Metro Manila,” DILG spokesman and undersecretary Jonathan Malaya explained in an interview on ABS-CBN Teleradyo.
Malaya said the hiring of additional contact tracers is in line with the 1:800 ratio as required by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Ang hinahanap namin, first priority, graduate ng allied medical courses at criminology. Second priority ay college level ng mga kursong ito. Kung wala, graduate level of any course (What we are looking for are, first priority, graduates of allied medical and criminology courses. Second priority are college level individuals in these courses. If there are none, graduate level of any course will do),” he said.
Malaya explained the successful applicants will undergo training at the Local Government Academy or the Philippine Public Safety College.
He said that interested parties must submit a transcript of records, application letter, NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) clearance, personal data sheet “and take a drug test."
Once the Department of Budget and Management releases the budget, Malaya said the DILG will start the hiring process.
Under the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, which is awaiting the signature of the President, P5 billion was allocated for the hiring and training of contact tracers.