A TOTAL of 370 recent college graduates from two government-run Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are set to enter the workforce of Zamboanga City next week through the cash-for-work program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The DSWD-Zamboanga Peninsula said Wednesday, April 29, that 185 of the 370 are graduates of the Zamboanga Peninsula Polytechnic State University (ZPPSU) and the remaining 185 of the Zamboanga State College of Marine Science and Technology (ZSCMST).
The beneficiaries of the program have undergone an orientation at the ZPPSU Gymnasium on Tuesday, April 28, preparing them for deployment to their respective office of assignments.
DSWD’s Social Welfare Officer III Jocelyn Decierdo and Efren Loyloy, Community Development Officer II of DSWD Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-Cidss) led the session during the orientation.
DSWD-Zamboanga Peninsula said Decierdo oriented the beneficiaries on the core objectives of the program and the administrative requirements necessary for their deployment.
The DSWD-Zamboanga Peninsula said the orientation covered essential professional topics, including workplace ethics, employee development, and workplace culture.
ZPPSU Director for Placement Zcharina Tinaytina conducted a session on workplace ethics.
Tinaytina has encouraged the graduates to maintain high professional standards, noting that previous program participants from ZPPSU have successfully secured permanent employment in their assigned offices due to their diligence and strong performance.
Dr. Cyrus Pil Cadavedo, ZPPSU Vice President for Student Affairs and Services, urged the beneficiaries to look beyond the financial compensation.
Cadavedo told the beneficiaries to take the program as an opportunity to learn while earning and serving the community.
“The program may be temporary, but learning should be the beneficiaries' main driving force wherever they will be deployed,” Cadavedo said.
The beneficiaries of the program are scheduled to begin their service on Monday, May 4, with placements across participating HEIs, Department of Education (DepEd), City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), and the DSWD-Zamboanga Peninsula office.
Each of the beneficiaries of the program will work for a period of 25 days and will receive a daily wage of P439 or for a total of P10,975.
The DSWD-Zamboanga Peninsula said the CFWP serves as a vital professional stepping stone for youth in the region.
The program, implemented under the Kalahi-Cidss Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (KKB), specifically targets graduates from HEIs. (SunStar Zamboanga)