IBA, Zambales — A total of 234 students from various schools across the province have joined the provincial government’s Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) this year, following the selection of qualified applicants by the Provincial Public Employment Service Office (PESO).

The SPES beneficiaries, along with their parents, received an orientation about the program on April 20 at the Zambales gymnasium under the tutelage of the Department of Labor and Employment Zambales Field Office.

Zambales PESO manager Mor O. Lim said the orientation was necessary for both beneficiaries and their guardians to be well-informed about the program’s guidelines, benefits, and the responsibilities of the participants prior to their deployment.

A SPES program focal person also discussed the program’s objectives, mechanics, and requirements, including work expectations, compensation, and compliance with necessary documentation.

DOLE personnel also provided hands-on assistance and guided the worker-students in signing of employment contracts.

Board Member Rundy Ebdane, who attended the SPES orientation, stressed that the program is important not only because it provides a source of income, but more so because it serves as a training ground for future leaders and productive citizens in the community.

He said the Zambales provincial government is closely coordinating with concerned agencies to deliver support to the youth in terms of education and development.

The SPES is an initiative of the DOLE to provide shirt-term work to augment family income and help poor but deserving students, as well as out-of-school youth and dependents of displaced workers, pursue education. The program is implemented during summer school break.

Generally, 60 percent of the salary for the worker-students is paid by the employers, which are mostly local government units, while the remaining 40 percent is shouldered by DOLE.

The SPES program is also undertaken by various LGUs in Zambales. – Taktikom News & Features