CEBU, Philippines - The city government will hire 700 more students for the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).
Initially, the city decided to hire 300 students, but Councilor Sisineo Andales, chairman of the City Council committee on labor, employment, livelihood and manpower development, said this is but roughly 15 percent of the 2,200 students the city hired last year. If Mayor Michael Rama approves, the city will hire 1000 students for the program.
During its regular session last Wednesday, the Council allocated P1.8 million for 300 students. If the additional slots are approved, the city would need to raise the budget to P6 million.
Andales said the city can afford the amount. In fact, the city has allocated a budget of P10.5 million for SPES this year. Last year, the city allocated some P11 million for the program.
Also, the salary of the students will be increased to P300/day from last year’s P267/day, the Department of Manpower Development and Placement said.
SPES is mandated under Republic Act 7323 and is created to provide income opportunities to poor but deserving students so they may be encouraged to pursue their education. It also aims to minimize juvenile delinquency and provide work experience to the students.
The program is open to students 18 to 24 years old. Applicants must also be students in the current school year or semester, as the case may be. If the applicant is out of school, he/she must enroll for the semester following the summer job.
Andales said 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. He said applicants will undergo thorough screening to avoid suspicions of favoritism.
Students will work in City Hall offices for 20 days. The first batch of student workers will start on April 4 and end on May 3 while the second batch will start on May 4 and end on May 31.
Application starts on March 1 until March 7. Results will be posted on March 21.(FREEMAN NEWS)