30,000 pledges eyed to support poor but deserving students for SPES
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Some 30,407 pledges to support working-youths are set for this year’s Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) in Central Luzon, the labor department said over the weekend.
The SPES, which officially kicked-off in the region this month, is a youth employment flagship program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
This figure was based on the SPES pledges submitted by the different Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) operating all over the region.
Newly-assigned DOLE Regional Director Ma. Zenaida Angara-Campita reported to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III that the SPES registration and screening process had already been undertaken for its implementation this month.
“As early as January, our PESOs have facilitated the screening, matching, and selection process of SPES aspirants in close coordination with their respective LGUs and participating firms from the private sector,” AngaraCampita explained.
“To date, the final listing of qualified beneficiaries is now being prepared and would be subjected to final orientation and briefing for the eventual start of their employment in the coming weeks,” she added.
Technical Support and Services Division for Employment and Welfare head Alejandro Inza Cruz said that participating students/ OSYs will be working for around 20 to 28 working days.
Inza Cruz also noted that the SPES-beneficiaries will be receiving salaries based on the prevailing minimum and applicable LGU wage-rates in the region.
“For this year’s SPES implementation, the DOLE regional office has allocated P111, 434,738.93, representing government’s share for the student’s salary. The remaining 60 percent share will be shouldered by participating private companies and National Government Agencies (NGAs) while participating LGUs’ approved-share will be based on their corresponding classification,” Inza Cruz explained.
The labor agency, for its part, assured the prompt processing of its share for the salaries of SPES-beneficiaries in time for the upcoming school season.
Around 445 employers comprising 301 private firms, 129 LGUs, 3 national government agencies, 5 non-government organization, 2 state university colleges, and 5 private schools are participating in this year’s SPES.
Campita urged for the DOLE’s program partners and beneficiaries for their continued support and cooperation for the regional SPES implementation.
“As the newest member of the DOLE Central Luzon Family, I look forward to a fruitful and meaningful partnership with our various program partners in providing meaningful opportunities for poor but deserving students in pursuing their education at the same time experience the real world of work through the SPES,” Campita said.
“We hope that we continue carrying the tradition of engaging and empowering our working youths to be at their best to become successful individuals by giving their 100 percent while gaining a lot of learning experience because employers may see their potential and could even consider hiring them in the future. They should seize the opportunity as SPES beneficiaries,” she furthered. Now on its 26th year, the SPES continues to assist poor but deserving students pursue their education by engaging them at the workplace and earn during their vacation.— Jerry Borja/ DOLE-3 LCO