P2.5-billion environment program to create jobs for 114,000 people

MANILA, Philippines - The government plans to implement some P2.5 billion in environmental programs to generate emergency employment for more than 114,000 people this year, Malacañang said yesterday.

Domingo Panganiban, National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) chief, said the move was in line with the green collar jobs and environment programs of President Arroyo.

NAPC, which is under the Office of the President, oversees the implementation of the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP).

Panganiban said the multi-million-peso program will be used to finance the upland development and Bantay Kalikasan programs of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as part of the government’s efforts to protect the country’s environmental system.

“As of Aug.14 this year, the government, under the guidance of the President and the leadership of DENR Secretary Lito Atienza, had already obligated around P86.2 million for the two programs, hiring some 65,377 poor folk in the process,” he said.

Panganiban said the government plans to allocate around P1.5 billion for the Upland Development program this year and another P1 billion for the Bantay Kalikasan program.

“Some of the country’s poorest communities are located in upland districts or around the vicinity of our watersheds and forest areas, where jobs are often scarce and environmental degradation limits economic growth and the creation of livelihood opportunities,” he said.

Panganiban said as of August, the government’s development plans called for the employment of some 61,900 workers under the Bantay Kalikasan program, while another 52,811 are put to work under the UDP.

“The DENR had already hired around 44,178 workers under the UDP from January to August this year,” he said. – Paolo Romero