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WHEREAS, the generation of employment and livelihood opportunities for targeted income groups is part of the country’s best preparation in thwarting the creeping problems brought about the global economic crisis;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Gross National Product growth of six percent (6%) in 2008 despite the recession in two-thirds of the world and the recent affirmation of the positive outlook for the Philippines by the credit rating agency Moody’s should not divert our attention from putting in place an economic imperative -- the protection of the most vulnerable sectors of society through the generation of jobs and livelihood opportunities.

WHEREAS, the cushion and lifeline provided by the emergency work programs of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the early 1930’s and President Disodado Macapagal in the early 1960’s remain relevant today as the world is grappling with the severest economic downturn in decades.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA M. ARROYO, President of the Philippines, by the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Emergency Employment - All members of the Cabinet are hereby instructed to draw up and prepare emergency work programs and doable and fundable livelihood projects with the following economic classes as beneficiaries: middle class, middle-low income class and the poorest of the poor.

All government agencies shall allocate one and a half percent (1.5%) of their respective Maintenance, Overhead and Operating Expense budgets of temporary employment for one hundred eighty thousand (180,000) employees six (6) months. The temporary employees may be assigned to conduct surveys, census (as in the case of the Department of Social Welfare and Development), price monitoring (Department of Trade and Industry), office and field work and other activities as previously identified in the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP). The temporary employment shall be distributed as follows, with priority given to displaced workers:

a. 50,000 workers of Region IV-A and the Bicol Provinces
b. 20,000 workers of Cebu, Mactan Economic Zones, Leyte and Samar
c. 20,000 workers of Subic and Clark Economic Zones, Pampanga, Tarlac, Bataan and Zambales
d. 5,000 workers in the CARAGA Region
e. Remainder to be distributed among the other regions of the country, with priority for the ten (10) poorest provinces and the one thousand (1,000) poorest municipalities.

It is clarified that the mandated distribution of temporary employment is far in excess of job losses.

SECTION 2. Training with Income Support (at half of minimum wage) - The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority shall conduct training in in-demand skills for workers in the following areas, with priority given to displaced workers:

a. 20,000 female workers from Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Camarines Provinces and Albay
b. 5,000 workers from Region III
c. 5,000 workers from Region VII
d. 5,000 workers from CARAGA
e. 50,000 overseas Filipino workers, utilizing the acquired skills of experienced returning workers as training instructors.

The income support shall provide for the expenses of the workers for meals and transportation.

SECTION 3. Entrepreneurship - The livelihood programs for the government shall be consolidated into a one-stop shop by creating an integrated Regional Livelihood Program Office at all regional centers to support micro enterprises and self-employment, including livelihood programs of the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Finance and the Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations.

SECTION 4. Public Works - Identify labor-intensive public works projects in poverty-stricken provinces to create volunteer jobs on honorarium or allowance basis. The Department of Public Works and Highways should be able to provide opportunities for 250,000 workers over a six-month period.

SECTION 5. Conditional Cash Transfer - The coverage of the Conditional Cash Transfer shall be expanded to Regions such as CARAGA and Cordillera to cover low/ no income families and avoid the incidence of child labor, especially in manual mining intensive areas.

SECTION 6. Effectivity - This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 13 Feb. 2009

(SGD.) GLORIA M. ARROYO
President of the Philippines  

BY THE PRESIDENT:

(SGD.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary