ZAMBOANGA CITY — The city government has hired a total of 2,766 students under the Summer Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) this year.
Socorro Rojas, City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) chief, said that of the figure, 1,400 are college students while the remaining 1,366 are high school students.
Rojas said under the program, the students are to work for a period of 20 days with a daily salary rate each of P477.73 or for a total of P9,554.60.
The program is a joint undertaking of the local government and national government, through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The city government, being the employer, will pay 60 percent of the salary of each SPES beneficiary. DOLE pays the remaining 40 percent.
Rojas said the college students, who comprised the first batch, will start working on April 12 until May 10, while the second batch from May 11 to June 2.
The student-beneficiaries of SPES will be assigned to the different barangays to undertake clean and green project and in offices to do clerical works.
Rojas, who also heads the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), said the city government has allocated P15 million for the SPES representing the local government’s 60 percent counterpart in the program.
The SPES is an employment bridging program during summer or Chirstmas break that aims to augment income of the family of poor but deserving students, out-of-school-youth (OSY) or dependents of displaced workers who intend to finish their education.
The SPES is commonly known as the summer job program. (Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)
