MMDA to hire 300 contact tracers to contain spread of COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will hire some 300 contact tracers in a bid to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as cases in Metro Manila are rising, chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said Tuesday.

In an interview over the ABS-CBN News Channel, Abalos said he wrote a letter to Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Bernard Florece Jr. requesting more contact tracers.

“But for the meantime, our agency the MMDA, would hire 300 more contact tracers which we will require for them to be placed in each LGUs (local government units) in Metro Manila,” he said.

Asked how the contact tracers will be hired, Abalos said: “What we will instead do is probably get in touch with the contact tracers of DILG na medyo hindi na nakuha (that didn’t get hired).”

“Or better yet, get fresh graduates under the supervision of DILG trade supervisors and assign them to every city and every municipality of Metro Manila,” he added.

“Aside from this, I’ve also requested for some more manpower from DILG,” Abalos further said.

Last year, the DILG hired 46,338 contact tracers of its 50,000 quotas to track down close contacts of COVID-19 infected Filipinos nationwide.

The contracts for the contact tracers were terminated on Dec. 31, 2020.

However, the DILG said that it will only rehire 15,000 contact tracers due tobudget limitations.”

EDV