DOLE to hire 200,000 students, OSYs this year

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will employ some 200,000 students and out-of-school youths this year under its banner project, the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).

DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz yesterday said Congress has rolled out P500 million this year for the employment program.

“The SPES aims to assist poor but deserving students pursue their education by encouraging employment of those in high school during summer and Christmas vacations, and those in college, technical or vocational level at any time of the year,” Baldoz said.

She said the first to report on the implementation of the SPES is DOLE Regional Office No. 9, which has allocated P28.3 million out of its 2014 budget of P30.478 million for 14,732 beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, DOLE Regional Office No. 8 reported that its SPES budget of P15.415 million for this year will provide temporary employment to 7,687 youth beneficiaries all over the region.

DOLE Regional Office No. 7, for its part, had earmarked P42.405 million of its P47.777 million budget for the employment of 12,032 youths.

Baldoz said she has yet to receive updates from other regions.

DOLE records show that the National Capital Region got P87.113 million in SPES budget; Region 1, P17.490 million; Cordillera Administrative Region, P10.458 million; Region 2, P28.067 million; Region 3, P44.751 million; Region 4-A, P33.764 million; Region 4-B, P23.360 million; Region 5, P12.915 million; Region 6, P23.192 million; Region 10, P27.049 million; Region 11, 23.277 million; Region 12, P48.008 million; and Caraga, P18.014 million.

Under the SPES program, DOLE shoulders 40 percent of the salaries of beneficiaries, while their employers – either local government units, private companies or other sponsor-institutions – pay the remaining 60 percent.

Started in 1992, the SPES has helped hundreds of thousands of students get an education.

From 2010 to 2013, the SPES assisted 493,742 poor but deserving students, 42.5 percent of whom are women.

The Department of Education started screening applicants for this year’s SPES last Friday. Almost 200 applicants were interviewed during the first day of screening. Students who will  be selected will  be employed for 30 days. – With Pia Lee-Brago