Makati to implement youth program over Christmas holidays

MANILA, Philippines - Makati Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña has ordered the hiring of the city’s youth for employment with the city government over the Christmas season under the Government Internship Program (GIP).

Peña said the implementation of the GIP over the holiday season will be done by the Makati Public Employment Service Office (Makati-PESO) in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the National Youth Commission (NYC).

Peña said that he thought of having the program this December not only as a way of gift-giving during this Christmas season, but also to teach the city’s youth the value of hard work and public service.

“We need to inculcate into the minds of our youth a sense of responsibility and accountability, and one of the best ways to do this is to expose them early to the world of work so they can earn for themselves and even for their respective families,” Peña said.

Vissia Marie Aldon, city PESO manager, said the program is open to all students and out-of-school-youth of Makati, preferably those belonging to indigent families or vulnerable and marginalized sectors in the city.

“The participants will be working at the different offices in the city for 20 days doing office and clerical work,” Aldon said, adding that in return they will receive a total of P7,215 (computed at 75 percent of the daily minimum wage of P481 in the private sector).

According to Peña, around 400 Makati residents, from both districts 1 and 2, are expected to avail themselves of the program, which has an allocated budget of P3 million.

Makati-PESO implements the program in compliance with Administrative Order No. 436, Series of 2013, or the Revised Guidelines in the Implementation of the Department of Labor and Employment - Government Internship Program (DOLE-GIP) issued by Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz.

The government internship program is a component of the government’s Kabataan 2000 project under Executive Order No. 139, Series of 1993, whose aim is to provide opportunities for young workers to serve the general public through the projects and services of government agencies and offices at both local and national levels.