The Iloilo City government plans to conduct regular random COVID-19 testing of employees of the different business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in the city.

Francis Cruz, executive assistant of Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, said they will meet today with the managers and representatives of different BPO companies in the city to discuss other proactive measures to protect the call center employees from contracting the virus within their working space.

Cruz said one of the suggestions is to conduct a regular random swab testing among the employees.

Initially, he added, the BPO companies are receptive of the ideas.

“Okay sa ila, they understand that it is for their protection, sang ila employees and companies because nga once nga mag-outbreak ma-untat gid ila operation,” said Cruz.

“We are even endorsing them nga magpa-swab sa aton molecular laboratory. Kay mas buro-barato,” he added.

Meanwhile, the random swab testing of BPO employees in the city has already started yesterday. To recall, Treñas ordered last week the random swab testing following the outbreak of COVID-19 cases in BPO firm HGS which is based in Mandurriao district.

City COVID Team spokesperson Jeck Conlu said that just yesterday alone, they were able to swab 300 individuals, a mix of BPO employees and closed contact of the employees who initially tested positive for COVID-19.

As of this writing, the total number of HGS employees who contracted the virus surged to 112./WDJ