Wednesday, April 16, 2008 490 youths to benefit from SPES
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio recently assured that the Provincial Government will continue its Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) which aims at helping the youth in the province.
This developed as 490 students are set to benefit from the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) this summer vacation at the Capitol.
Each SPES beneficiary will be given compensation equivalent to the daily minimum wage. The Provincial Government will shoulder 60 percent of the wage, while the remaining 40 percent will be given by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) through education vouchers. The education vouchers will be used by the students in paying for their tuition and books.
The mandate of the SPES program is enforced through Republic Act (RA) 7323 known as "An Act To Help Poor But Deserving Students Pursue Their Education By Encouraging Their Employment During Summer and/or Christmas Vacations".
Under the law, the Dole regional director is the overall director of SPES program.
The program aims to support young students aged 15 to 25 years old who want to continue schooling. The SPES was initiated in 1992 as part of the "President's Kabataan 2000 Program" and the "Work Appreciation Program (WAP)" of the Dole.
According to Luningning Vergara, manager of the Public Employment Service Office (Peso), the main task of a SPES employee is the gathering of information and data for the "Community-Based Management Information System" during the course of their employment. The data that have been gathered shall then serve as the basis of the Capitols "Barangayan Program" that is being prioritized by the Provincial Government.
Vergara added that the SPES programs provide a direct mechanism for local government units (LGUs) to tap local workers and release funds to students who would use the earnings for their studies. She added that the program also serves as an effective training ground for students in terms of corporate-related skills for similar job specifications.
Through the program, students learn basic job-related values, according to Vergara. (IOF)
