Over 3T studes in CV given summer jobs

At least 1,170 high school and college students in Cebu, and a total 3,262 in Central Visayas, were given summer jobs under the special program for the employment of students of the Department of Labor and Employment.

Grace Diaz, chief of the DOLE-7 employment promotions division, said the beneficiaries of the program-aged 15 to 25 years old-have worked as clerks or manpower support for community beautification projects of local governments.

The others have service-oriented jobs like sales clerks, cashiers or office clerks in private business establishments, said Diaz.

There were at least 11 LGU participants or acceptors in Cebu, including Cebu City, and a total of 14 private companies in the program, she said.

Diaz said there were 26 LGUs and four private firms that hired 826 students in Bohol province; 13 LGUs and five firms hired 919 students in Negros Oriental; and all six towns and a firm hired 337 students in Siquijor.

Under the program, DOLE-7 subsidizes 40 percent of the salaries of the beneficiaries while the acceptors shoulder the remaining 60 percent.

Salaries will depend on the prevailing minimum wage that an LGU or private company is giving. In Cebu, particularly, the minimum wage is P223 per day.

The beneficiaries have already started work Monday but some of them will start theirs on April 3. The temporary jobs cover a minimum period of 20 working days and a maximum of 45 days.

Based on the provincial visits earlier this year, Diaz said there were around 5,353 jobs available but due to budgetary constraints, the total jobs actually provided totaled only 3,252.

Diaz said she has requested for additional funds of P1-million from the central office in Manila, after she received calls mostly from private companies in Cebu offering to help students earn money this summer. - Jasmin R. Uy