| Photo courtesy of Cebu City Public Information Office
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) contact tracers in Cebu City are finally getting their long-awaited salaries after months of delay or since August 2020.
The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) revealed that the city government had started the release of the salaries of the contact tracers for the months of August, September, and October 2020.
Charoma Jessica Amatos, officer-in-charge of the contact tracing cluster, announced Thursday, December 17, during the EOC’s daily huddle that a total of 66 contact tracers from two batches had already received their salary earlier this week.
Another two clusters will be able to receive their salaries later this week.
“The delay of the release of the salaries was because of the documentary requirements needed such as their daily time records and accomplishment reports. In case of doubt, ask the proper admin officer and payroll maker for the correct guidance,” Amatos said.
Read more: Cebu City contact tracers assured: Salaries to be released by year’s end
Cebu City’s EOC has a total of 181 contact tracers deployed to the 80 barangays to assist in tracing individuals suspected of contracting COVID-19.
The contact tracers have been looking for their salary after the rendering of a total of five months service since August 2020.
The City Health said that the delay was caused by two major factors — the reprogramming of funds in the department and the requirements needed by the Commission on Audit (COA).
The reprogramming was necessary because the allotted budget by the City Health for manpower could no longer suffice with the number of new contact tracers hired.
Meanwhile, the 1,800 health workers in the city are set to receive the second tranche of their P10,000 financial assistance before Christmas as well.
City Administrator Floro Casas Jr. has signed the necessary documents for the release on Thursday.
Selected doctors, nurses, medical technologists and other health care workers from private hospitals will receive the assistance./dbs