Tsismosa and tsismoso it's your time to shine!
One of the strategy of the government to combat the spread of the coronavirus is to established a strong army of contact tracers and it is targeting to hire additional thousands of contact tracers at the end of July. Gossipers 'tsismosa' and 'tsismoso' are in.
According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergerie in a press briefing, she sees nothing wrong with tapping the neighborhood gossipmongers. Noting that there are guidelines to be observed in appointing tracers - to what information they should look for and disclose to respect individual privacy, she said.
In fact, when first coronavirus case in the Philippines was confirmed in January, local government in the town of Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya has implemented this measure by creating a 'Gossip Brigade' and seems effective as the town maintains COVID-19 free.
According to Dr. Anthony Cortez, these group are helping them giving information about the new arrival and returning residents in their town so they could send nurses to follow-up and imposed the quarantine procedure.
In jest, Central Visayas police director Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro in his remarks said, gossipers as part of the team could boost Cebu's contact tracing effort to track down possible carrier of the disease.
“I heard a story last night about this ‘tsismosa brigade.’ They could be a good source of (information). I think it was in Bulacan. It was said the help of these ‘tsismosas’ is being sought for contact tracing. So maybe, instead of rumormongering, they can do something to help,” he said with a laugh.
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