DILG, DOLE to start hiring 4,754 contact tracers

MANILA, Philippines — The government will start the hiring of almost 5,000 contact tracers today to augment the shortage of personnel in the National Capital Region, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

DILG officer-in-charge Undersecretary Bernardo Florece said they would prioritize displaced workers in the informal sector for the hiring of 4,754 contact tracers through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

High school graduates are encouraged to apply in their respective localities.

The hired contact tracers will be trained and deployed by the DILG by May 1.

Florece said there is still a shortage of contact tracers to meet the ideal ratio of 1:800 people in Metro Manila.

There are currently only 10,907 active contact tracers in the region out of the ideal 17,000 tracers.

With the DOLE hiring, the number of contact tracers will be divided among the 17 local government units in the National Capital Region (NCR), depending on the population.

Quezon City stands to get the highest number or 1,084 contact tracers followed by 657 in Metro Manila.

Florece said they are continuously augmenting the LGU-hired contact tracers with personnel from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection and other government agencies in different regions.

Despite the shortage of personnel, the DILG urged all contact tracers to ensure that tracing of positive and exposed cases should be done within 24 hours, as per the order of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Filing

Applicants may file their applications to the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in their respective cities from tomorrow to April 22, the DOLE said.

Karen Trayvila, chief of the DOLE Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns, reported that about 5,000 slots are open for those interested to serve as contact tracers in the NCR.

Requirements for the job have been relaxed to make hiring easier for displaced workers.

Those who have previously worked as contact tracers with the DILG may also apply for the positions if they are unemployed.

“They will come up with a shortlist of the required number of contact tracers,” Trayvilla said.

Select applicants will undergo training with pay.

Trayvilla said the deployment of newly hired contact tracers is expected to start by April 26.

Those who will be hired will work for 90 days and be provided with the prescribed daily minimum wage in the region aside from insurance coverage and other perks.

The DOLE will push for the inclusion of the newly hired contact tracers in the vaccine priority list. – Mayen Jaymalin, Janvic Mateo