President Arroyo has ordered government to employ more Filipinos to improve the country’s infrastructure systems and vital facilities even as the number of workers hired under her Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) soared past the 300,000 mark this month, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) announced recently.

NAPC Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban said the government put to work some 304,960 unemployed or underemployed Filipinos under the President’s emergency jobs program from January to August 14 this year, up from 237,611 workers recorded in late June.

“The President has said that she wants progress reports on the program on her desk twice each week,” Panganiban said.

He said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has so far generated the most number of new employment opportunities for the poor as the agency was responsible for hiring around 89,518 laborers under the CLEEP as of the second week of August.

“The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ranked second with 65,377 workers hired,” Panganiban said.

Citing positive economic indicators, he said the President’s decision to invest billions of pesos into the CLEEP has already begun to reap dividends.

“We are very confident that the Arroyo government will meet its targets for the President’s emergency jobs program this year,” he said.

The NAPC chief said that the Malacañang has already obligated around P7.3 billion of the P13.7 billion allocated by national agencies for the CLEEP.

“The DA has so far been the biggest investor into the CLEEP, obligating more than P5 billion to the effort, followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with P838 million,” he said.

Quoting NAPC’s latest report to the President, he said the government has managed to ensure a 54% utilization rate for the public funds allocated under the program.