YOUNG WORKERS. Qualified students attend an orientation conducted by the Bacolod City Public Employment and Services Office at the Government Center lobby on April 20, 2022 before they were deployed for various summer jobs under the Special Program for Employment of Students. Some 2,660 students tapped by the city government for 10 to 20 days of duty started working third week of April. (Photo courtesy of Bacolod City PIO)
BACOLOD CITY – Some 2,660 students have been tapped by the city government here for this year’s Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) starting the third week of April.
Of the number,160 are considered SPES-Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) beneficiaries while the other 2,500 youths are wholly funded by the city government.
Ma. Rebecca Balicas, manager of the city's Public Employment Service Office, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday those working under the SPES-DOLE program will render service for 20 days while the city-paid hires will work for 10 days.
“The city-paid youth are conducting surveys in their respective communities while the SPES-DOLE beneficiaries were divided to do different tasks such as surveying and encoding,” she said.
Before the start of their deployment on April 20, qualified students attended an orientation conducted by Balicas and SPES provincial focal person Ma. Zyrene Prietos.
Those under the SPES-DOLE program will receive a salary of PHP10,940, of which 60 percent or PHP6,564 will be paid by the city while the remaining 40 percent or PHP4,376 will be separately released by the DOLE.
The group of 2,500 summer employees, who will render work for 10 days, will receive a total of PHP5,470.
In August last year, the city government released PHP10.427 million for the wages of 1,786 youth workers who availed of the SPES.
The beneficiaries are youths between 15 years and 30 years old who are in school as well as out-of-school youth who want to earn money for enrolment.
The DOLE through the SPES aims to provide students with work related to their career paths. (PNA)
