MANILA — The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) said Sunday it would be offering a free training program on contact tracing starting September as government continued to strengthen its efforts to control the spread of the new coronavirus.
The 15-day program will be administered through blended distance and face-to-face learning, said Aniceto Bertiz III, TESDA deputy director-general for partnerships and linkages.
"We recognize there is an urgent need to train individuals interested in working or volunteering as contact tracers," said Bertiz.
TESDA and the Department of Health worked together to create the core competency standards for the new program, Bertiz added.
"In fact, we are already developing the online materials to be used for the program," he said.
Bertiz said those who wish to undergo the contact tracing training must have completed at least 10 years of basic education or its equivalent and have good communication skills.
Aspiring contact tracers may enlist for the program by getting in touch with TESDA's regional and provincial officers, according to Maria Gerty Paragan, chief of TESDA's public information division.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines reached 161,253 on Sunday after the health department reported 3,420 new infections.
— With a report from Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, education, technical vocational education, contact tracing, training, COVID-19, COVID-19 pandemic