Contact tracers unpaid for 4 months now

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City’s contact tracers and swabbers have not received their salaries allegedly for four months now.

A contact tracer, who spoke to The FREEMAN on the condition of anonymity, said they decided to air their concern because they wanted concerned officials to look into their plight.

“Ing-ani na kaayo mi ka desperado nga naa untay makadungog ug makahibaw sa among problema as contact tracers,” the contact tracer said.

“Ang amo problema kay mag-four months na tawn mi wa nasweldohan sa gobyerno. Wa mi makuha nga sakto nga tubag ngano ing-ani siya ka dugay,” the contact tracer added.

The source said many of them were wondering why their salaries or honoraria have not been included in the annual budget considering that they have been serving the city since last year yet.

They were hoping that the city government would act swiftly on the matter since, according to them, they also have families to feed.

“Knowing nga kami man tawn una moatubang sa positive patients, wa mi reklamo ana kay kahibaw mi mao na among trabaho pero naa pud ta gamayng konswelo sa among sweldo,” the contact tracer said.

“Kahibaw pud tawn mi gutomon. Naa pud mi pamilya gibuhi. Ang uban naa pay anak gaeskwela nga need bayaran ang tuition. Ang uban gaabang pa og balay. Pait ba jud kaayo,” the tracer added.

City Councilor David Tumulak said he already made a follow-up on the frontliners’ concern through Emergency Operations Center deputy chief implementer and City Councilor Joel Garganera.

Tumulak said the city is employing over 400 contact tracers. It remains unclear, though, how many of them have not been paid their salaries.

The FREEMAN tried to get comments from Garganera and city administrator lawyer Floro Casas Jr. but both of them have not responded as of writing.

Earlier, though, Garganera admitted that the contact tracers’ honorariums have been delayed.

“Even to this day, the honorariums of our contact tracers and swabbers have been delayed for months, despite them being exposed to the risks and hazards brought by this pandemic,” he said.

The Department of Interior and Local Government earlier identified contact tracers as game-changers in the battle against COVID-19.

To note, this is not the first time frontliners hired by Cebu City government experienced delays in receiving their pays.

Doctors, nurses and barangay workers had also aired the same sentiments but City Hall officials explained the delay was due to some requirements that had not been complied right away. — JMD (FREEMAN)