CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — A total of 15,715 poor but deserving college and vocational students in Central Luzon will be given an opportunity to work in private companies and local government units (LGUs) this year under the government’s Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Director Raymundo Agravante disclosed that Tarlac got the most SPES slots numbering 5,523 followed by Zambales with 3,942; Nueva Ecija with 1,800; Bulacan with 1,700; Aurora with 1,150; Bataan with 1,000 and Pampanga with 600.
The distribution, Agravante added, was based on the SPES provincial performances in the last five years.
”SPES is a law-mandated program that seeks to help poor but deserving students pursue their education by enlisting them during summer or Christmas vacations, “ he explained.
He said “Provincial, Municipal and City Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) select the students based on the required qualifications as to age, grades, income, and other pertinent documents,” adding that in order to qualify, a student must at least be 18 years old but not more than 25 years old.
Agravante also noted that to qualify, “ the combined net income after tax of the student’s parents, including his or her income if any, should not exceed the latest annual poverty threshold level for a family of six as determined and provided by the National Economic and Development Authority and the student must have obtained passing grades in the last school term attended.”
“The salaries of the students were in accordance to the prescribed minimum wage wherein DOLE shouldered 40 percent while the remaining 60 percent came from the participating companies and local government units,” he added.
