MANILA— Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is offering a free contact tracing training program to help the government build manpower to boost efforts to identify close contacts of COVID-19 patients.

“Isa 'yung contact tracing training para sa protektahan ang ating sarili, at dahil nga po napakataas ng pangangailangan ng ating bansa lalong-lalo na po for contact tracing, we are expecting, according to [contact tracing czar] Mayor [Benjamin] Magalong, 150,000 or more para maserbisyuhan ang lahat,” said TESDA Deputy Director General Aniceto Bertiz III.

(Contact tracing training is needed to protect ourselves, and because of the increased need for contact tracers in our country, where Mayor Magalong said we need about 150,000 or more to be able to cover all.)

• Number of contact tracers per area should be based on daily virus cases: pandemic czar

Bertiz said that under TESDA’s Oplan Abot Lahat, the level 2 contract tracing training program was launched recently in the National Capital Region to train those who would like to become contact tracers.

The program is open to all who are at least 21 and yet to reach senior age.

“Open sa lahat, of course, under IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) regulation, dapat po 21 [years old] and above and not more than 59,” Bertiz said.

(This is open to all, 21 years old and above but not more than 59, based on the IATF regulation.)

To qualify for the program, they must also be a high school graduate.

The program is now available, free of charge, and the three modules takes up to 5 days to finish. Training is online.

“'Yung learning modality 80 percent, online. 'Yung 20 percent, assessment. Puwede na nilang itake-up sa website natin 'yung Contact Tracing Training Program Level 2,” he said.

(The learning modality will be 80 percent online. The 20 percent is for assessment. They can now access the Contact Tracing Training Program Level 2 on our website.)

The program includes teaching students the proper way to remove, dispose, or sanitize their personal protective equipment.

“Once makapasa, the certificate will serve, they can present it to the DOH, DOLE (Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment) kasi meron tayong memorandum of agreement to those agencies,” he said.

(Those who complete the program will be given a certificate which they can present to the DOH, DOLE because we have a memorandum of agreement with those agencies.)

• Here's how much you can earn as a COVID-19 contact tracer

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, co-chairperson of the National Task Force against COVID-19, earlier said that government would hire 50,000 contact tracers nationwide.

Successful applicants will have a salary of around P18,000 or equivalent to salary grade 9, said Año.

As of Friday, the Philippines has reported 279,526 cases of COVID-19 of which 65,906 are active cases. Of the total, 208,790 have recovered and 4,830 died.