By Jason B. Neola
NAGA CITY, May 12 (PNA) –The ability and long experience of the city government to innovate programs has allowed the implementation of the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) here to cover a greater number of beneficiaries.
This, as Mayor John Bongat hopes to help more financially challenged families who are determined to send their children to college.
The SPES, which is created through RA 7323, is a joint partnership initiative by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and LGUs nationwide.
It offers poor but deserving students who are in tertiary, vocational or technical schools, as well as out-of-school youths with ages from 15 to 25 years old, the opportunity to work in government agencies or any participating private entities for specific period for them to earn money or corresponding allowances that they will use in their next enrolment.
RA 7323 helps these poor but deserving students pursue their education by providing them an avenue for employment during summer and/or Christmas vacation when there are no classes.
This year, the city government will hire more students, surpassing last year’s number, aside from those who will be employed and paid by the local governmentand DOLE.
Sixty percent of the salaries will be shouldered by the LGU while 40 percent, by the national government agency.
Under the 60-40 sharing, the city government has allocated Php1.5 million for the salaries of 200 students at Php327 per day. DOLE’s counterpart is Php800,000.
Furthermore, the city government has put up an additional Php500,000 to pay the salaries of additional 100 students, where this specific commitment is no longer covered by the mandated 60-40 sharing with the DOLE.
All the 300 SPES beneficiaries were split into two categories: 250 students in“Earn for Enrollment (E4E)” component, and 50 more in “Learn and Earn (L&E)” component.
This first group of hirees were employed on April 6 to May 5 while those in the second batch were hired last May 6, and will serve until June 5.
Also included in the L&E is a group of another 50 students (third batch) who are employed to work for three hours during daytime, to be able to attend their classes at late in the afternoon or nighttime, until the month of September.
Used as basis by the city mayor in hiring the third batch of students is Republic Act 9547 which strengthened and expanded the coverage of RA 7323.
Section 1 of RA 9547 provides that “students enrolled in the tertiary, vocational or technical education may be employed at any time of the year.”
“Under the expanded measure, we would be able to assist a greater number of our poor but deserving students as they plan to pursue their education,” says Bongat, whose administration is pursuing multi-pronged programs that aim to train the youth to become productive and responsible individuals.
Encouraging the youth to further hone their abilities and competencies is one of Bongat’s primary concerns for the sector who are being accommodated and trained to actively participate in charting the city’s future.
The youth are also being given a chance to learn up close and personal how the city government works and operates by allowing them to work hands on with the regular city officials and employees through the SPES program. Roderick Reforzado, head of Metro PESO Employment and Manpower
Development Center, said the students were employed by the city government based on their skills and proficiencies, and the courses where they are enrolled vis-à-vis the job vacancies available.
“These students who were hired under SPES are given different tasks in the city government, like computer encoders, computer technicians, and workers for IT-related jobs, land propagators, and office assistants,” says Reforzado. (PNA)