By Sarwell Meniano/Philippine News Agency
TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has asked local government units (LGUs) not to engage students employed for summer jobs in partisan activities.
DOLE Eastern Visayas Regional Director Yahya Centi said with the ongoing campaign period, there are tendencies by politicians to mobilize beneficiaries of Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) to campaign for incumbent local officials.
“Our appeal to officials is not to involve them in partisan activities even if LGUs are paying shares of young workers’ wages. This is a violation of Commission on Election rules,” Centi told reporters on Wednesday.
The official asked residents to document and report any engagements of SPES recipients in campaigning. Political-related activities such as the distribution of election flyers, posting of campaign materials or going around with political candidates to woo voters are prohibited.
The labor department asked the Public Employment Service Office in every city and town to help monitor violations of this election rule. Campaign period for local positions has started on March 30 and will end on May 11.
Eastern Visayas region has 3,806 SPES recipients hired last months. The region got an allocation of PHP13.95 million this year.
DOLE provides for the 40 percent of the beneficiaries’ salaries, which is based on an area’s prevailing minimum daily wage rate, while the employing offices or establishments shoulder the remaining 60 percent.
The initiative, which has a maximum annual cycle of 52 days per beneficiary, mainly caters to students in the tertiary, technical or vocational level.
SPES is a flagship program implemented by local government units and DOLE to assist poor but deserving students and out-of-school youths intending to pursue their education to gain employment during the summer and Christmas vacation periods.
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