264 students start summer job in the City

AROUND 264 students were employed by the city government of Baguio for the first batch of its 2016 summer job under the Special Program Employment of Students (SPES).

The students took their oath on April 18 rendering service to the city government from clerical to janitorial for 30 days in ex- change for P409.09 daily compensation and will work until May 30, 2016.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the city government will be shouldering 60 percent of the wages while the remaining 40 percent will come from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the form of an educational voucher.

Domogan emphasized the SPES is the city government’s effort to help students earn for their school fees.

“I hope that your employment will give you the reason to value education for you to achieve your mission in life,” Domogan said.

Grade 10 student Micah Misa from Baguio City High School was elated to be one of the SPES beneficiaries adding her compensation will be used to pay her school fees in the coming school year.

Application for the SPES started as early as January 11 and lasted until February 29. The city’s Public Employment and Services Office (PESO) received the application forms.

In an earlier interview, PESO Baguio manager Jose Atanacio said this year’s program will be held in two tranches. High school students’ work period is for the first batch while college students or the

second batch will begin in June.

In order to qualify for the SPES program, student must be bona fide Baguio resident, physically fit, 15 to 25 years old at the time of registration, currently enrolled or a student who was not able to enroll for the past semester/ academic year but intends to enroll in the upcoming semester/ academic year, have garnered an average passing grade during the last school term attended, and must belong to families whose parents’ or guardians’ joint incomes do not exceed P116,898 per year after tax deductions.

Documents needed were original copy of birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority or by the Local Civil Registrar, original copy of parents or guardians’ most recent income tax return forms or a certificate of tax exemption issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue if they are exempted from paying taxes.

High school students were asked to present last year’s grades while college and vocational students must present recent grades from the first semester of 2016.

The SPES is mandated under Republic Act 9547 or “An act to help poor but deserving students pursue their education by encouraging their employment during summer and/ or Christmas va- cations, through incentives granted to employers, allowing them to pay only 60 per centum of their salaries or wages and the 40 per centum through education vouchers to be paid by the government, prohibiting and penalizing the filing of fraudulent and fictitious claims, and for other purposes. With a report from Mary Rose Torda/ Mariano Marcos State University Intern