IBA, Zambales — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Zambales expects to expand its contact tracing program in the province following the training here of 56 contact tracers (CTs) who comprise the final batch of workers hired for the job of identifying and collecting information on suspected cases of Covid-19 infection.

Led by DILG Provincial Director Armi V. Bactad, the two-day training for the last batch of hired contact tracers was held online on November 5 and 6 via Zoom meeting platform.

The completion of the training will pave the way for the full deployment of contact tracers in Zambales and the full implementation of the government program to identify, treat and isolate Covid-19 patients.

The DILG also initiated the conduct of an online training for the second and third batches of hired contact tracers on October 22 and 23, after conducting a follow-through online training for the 103 newly-hired contact tracers on October 12 via Zoom meeting.

For the recent training, DILG Zambales once again partnered with the Zambales Provincial Police Office (ZPPO), represented by PCapt. Jan Reanel B. Romero, acting chief of police of the Iba Municipal Police Station, and the Department of Health-Zambales represented by Dr. Jessie F. Fantone, in imparting the knowledge and skills to the 56 trainees.

Bactad said the two-day training gave the CTs a glimpse of what to expect upon their deployment to their local government unit assignment.

She added in her message that the DILG Zambales team has been providing the needed training to CTs to prepare them to be matino, mahusay at maaasahang (sensible, skilled and reliable) contact tracers.

Bactad also lauded the courage of the trainees for wanting to be members of the Zambales Contact Tracing Team (CTT), which she described as “not an easy job.”

The DILG trained the first batch of hired contact tracers in September to augment contact tracers of local government units.  — Sheryl Ann Q. Dungca, Kristine Joy B. Pesimo and Cindy C. Cagalitan