This policy brief discusses the importance of contact tracing in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Several Asian countries have successfully reduced COVID-19 cases through contact tracing, which involves immediately identifying and managing the contacts of COVID-19-infected persons. This interrupts further transmission of the virus and is an effective public health measure when combined with robust testing and surveillance systems. In the Philippines, much of the public health policy response to COVID-19 has focused on strengthening the capacities of health facilities to test, treat, and isolate COVID-19-infected persons. Contact tracing has lagged behind and is still referred to as the weakest link in the Philippines’ response to COVID-19. This paper aims to emphasize the need to strengthen contact tracing efforts, provide a brief background discuss the issues and challenges of contact tracing in the Philippines, and underscore the elements of a necessary public policy that would improve contact tracing in the country.