Aspiring contact tracers can now apply for one of the most crucial jobs during this pandemic through a government recrutiment website that went live recently. The pay: P18,784 per month for a four-month contract.
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree relevant to the job, preferably allied medical course or criminology. The job openings were posted days after President Rodrigo Duterte signed Bayanihan 2 to sustain the government's fight against COVID-19.
Contact-tracing must be streamlined and coordinated across local governments, according to the Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19. The next steps after contact-tracing -- test, isolate and treat -- must also be done swiftly, said Dr. Anna Ong Lim who spoke for the HPAAC on Monday.
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In some cases, contact tracing takes weeks, giving a potentially infected person enough time to pass on the virus to others, she said. There are however positive developments, including the establishment of app and QR-code based tracing systems.
The recruitment portal that went live was for contact-tracers in Metro Manila. Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent and Personal Data Sheet that can be downloaded from the portal, while the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance and Drug Test Result have to be uploaded with the first two documents.
Preferred experience would be any of the following:
- Must be skilled in data gathering and/or assisted in research and documentation;
- Must be able to interview COVID-19 cases and close contacts in order to gather data on travel history and conduct health assessments;
- Must possess the ability to advocate public health education messages; and
- Have investigative capability.
Interested parties have until Sept. 23 to submit their applications.
Click here to access the DILG-NCR Contact Tracing Web Portal.
