TACLOBAN CITY – The Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is set to extend the number of working days that students usually avail of during summer vacation.
Ma. Letecia Cayanong, chief employment promotion division of DOLE-8, told Leyte Samar Daily Express in an interview that this would only be available to those who have worked for two to three summers already under the program.
“If the SPES was used to be implemented for 15 days, the new development or changes this time is that it can already be implemented for 30 days but this is only good for those who are “SPES babies,” Cayanong said, referring to those who have availed of the program for two to three years.
According to her, the extension in working days of these students was meant to provide them with more income that could be used to support their schooling and also for the program to see concrete results in its implementation.
But she said there would be changes or consequences that would happen because of the implementation of the new version of SPES this summer.
“What will happen here is that the number of student-beneficiaries would be reduced because the budget for this program remains the same,” Cayanong said.
It was learned from her that the DOLE has still allocated a budget of P2.8 to P3 million for the implementation of SPES this year in the region.
But Cayanong said that the local government units will also give a counterpart that would be allocated for the honorarium of the students who will work this summer under the SPES.
She said that sixty percent of the payment that the students will receive would come from the LGUs while the forty percent will come from DOLE.
Cayanong said the student who will work under the SPES will receive a hundred percent salary but the amount would vary depending on the rate of every municipality.
At present, the DOLE is still in the process of soliciting fund from certain municipalities for the SPES program, but Cayanong said they will prioritize those who have funds especially those who already availed of the program last year.
