City to hire 300 students for summer program

CEBU, Philippines - Some 300 poor but deserving students from Cebu City will benefit from the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) come summer.

Councilor Sisinio Andales, chairman of the City Council’s committee on livelihood, said the Council has approved P1.8 million for summer job interns. The interns will be assigned in various departments at City Hall.

The city government passed the budget by virtue of Republic Act No. 7323, the law that created SPES. The law encourages local governments to employ poor but deserving students during the summer vacation so that they can earn money that can help them pursue higher education.

Andales said applicants will undergo thorough screening to avoid suspicions of favoritism.

They must be between 18 to 24 years old and must be a student for the current school year or semester, as the case may be. If the applicant is out of school, they must enroll for the semester following the summer job.

Andales emphasized that only those whose family has an annual income of P36,000 or a combined monthly earning of P14,450 for a family of five are eligible for the program.

The first batch of summer job interns will begin work on April 4 and end on May 3. The second batch will start on May 4 and will end on May 31. They will receive P300/day for the 20-day program.

The objective of SPES is to develop the intellectual capabilities of children of poor families and harness their potentials. (FREEMAN)