BAGUIO CITY - The Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) is now in full swing in the region with a total of 2,860 slots for poor but deserving students getting short-term but gainful employment.

Lorna Baculong, Senior Labor and Employment officer of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in a radio interview, announced that there are 2,860 SPES beneficiaries in the whole region who will be engaged on the average,of 20 to 52 days in various summer jobs appropriate to their skills beginning April until May in private sector companies and government agencies that have pledged to employ the students under the program.

She likewise stated that the DOLE-CAR has allotted the amount of P5.4 million assistance while the partner local government units (LGUs) and private establishments have allotted a total of P8 million.

As of now, there are about 56 LGUs including state colleges and universities and 16 private companies who pledged their commitment to adopt the SPES program for a total of 72 entities, she added.

According to Baculong,the 60 percent of the students’ salary or wage shall be paid by the employer in cash,while the remaining 40 percent of the applicable minimum wage law or hiring rate shall be paid by DOLE.

Baculong noted that the SPES fits the objective of President Benigno S. Aquino III, in his 22-point employment agenda,to make the Filipino human resource competitive while promoting social justice.

The SPES was started by the then President Corazon C. Aquino 19 years ago after the Congress enacted Republic Act 7323 on March 30, 1992. Subsequently, RA 9547, enacted in 2009, expanded the coverage of the program by introducing amendments to the original SPES law.

Any student may apply for employment under the SPES provided he or she meets the required qualifications as follows: He or she must be 18 years old of age but not more than 25 years old; the combined net income after tax of his or her parents, including his or her income if any, does 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 he or she must at least have gotten an average passing grade during the last school term attended. **(MC-PIA-CAR)