MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will start the hiring of 50,000 contact tracers by September once the P5 billion fund under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) is released.
“We expect this September [that the] funds can be transferred to us by DBM (Department of Budget and Management) so that we can start hiring,” Interior Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said in a text message on Saturday.
Malaya said 20,000 contact tracers would be deployed in Luzon, 15,000 to the Visayas and another 15,000 in Mindanao.
The World Health Organization has recommended one contact tracer for every 800 people. The DILG has proposed a monthly salary of P20,219, which is equivalent to Salary Grade 10, for each contact tracer.
—Nestor Corrales