Congress broadens job opportunities for studes

The House of Representatives passed on second reading a measure that will give wider employment opportunities to the country’s working students, Speaker Manny Villar said yesterday.

The Special Program for Employment of Students, authored by Bohol Rep. Ernesto Herrera, aims to broaden the present SPES to benefit more students.

Villar says that the bill lessens the employment size of participating establishments from those employing at least 50 persons to those employing more than 10 persons.

It likewise seeks to adjust the income requirement for coverage under the law based on the annual national poverty threshold line for a family of six as may be determined by the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB).

"The objective is to help more students by ensuring part-time employment so they can fund their studies," said Villar, a former fish vendor who put himself through school.

The Speaker points out that the SPES, which is on its seventh year of implementation, has helped numerous students finish their studies. "We hope to improve on the program to make it more efficient, effective and responsive to the present economic conditions," he said.

The bill also seeks to provide students employed in activities related to their courses with equivalent academic credits as may be determined by appropriate government agencies.

Villar points out that once passed into law, the proposal will benefit poor Filipino students who will be given the chance to financially put themselves through school.

"This system will certainly inculcate the values of sipag at tiyaga (perseverance and hard work) among our young people," stressed Villar.

Helping provide education to young Filipinos, says Villar, will likewise give them the opportunity to improve their quality of life.

Non-formaled bill passed

Meanwhile, Congress also passed a measure institutionalizing funding for non-formal education.

House Bill 10655, authored by Aklan Rep. Allen Quimpo and several other congressmen, aims to ensure some P101 billion budget for the Department of Education, Culture and Sports’ Bureau of Non-formal Education.

The said fund will be used for the Non-formal Education Accreditation and Equivalency System which education officials believe to be one of the best alternative to having formal degrees.

The system was hailed by the United Nations this year and has benefited some 62,000 out-of-school youth and adults since it began in January last year.

The accreditation and equivalency system allows unschooled individuals to advance to higher levels of learning by taking tests. Thus, even adults who have not completed their elementary schooling can proceed to college by taking equivalency examinations.