The employment drive is part of the DOLE's Special Program for Employment of Student (SPES), a flagship program designed to provide income opportunity to out-of-school youth and students from underprivileged families during summer or Christmas break.
The program is open to all qualified high school, college or vocational students, out-of-school youth, aged between 15 to 25, with priority given to the poor and disadvantaged students who need assistance to pursue their education.
The registration for this year will start on March 1 and will end on March 23, and the summer job will run from April 11 until May 11.
"The program is an earn-and-learn program to develop productive work ethics in the youth. It seeks to help poor but deserving students and out-of-school youth pursue their education by providing them a job opportunity every summer," Norma Lidasan, DOLE-ARMM’s supervising labor and employment officer said.
The DOLE-ARMM has earmarked P6.3 million for the SPES this year, which would cover the salaries and other benefits of the working students or drop-outs.
Student applicants are required to submit the following: birth certificate, barangay clearance, certification by the school registrar or form 138 or original class card, certificate of good moral character and parents’ income tax return, which should not exceed the P85,000 annual income.
For out-of-school-youth applicants, a certificate of good moral character issued by their respective barangay will be required.
The SPES beneficiaries are entitled to receive a daily minimum wage of P255 for those in the agriculture sector and P265.00 for those in non-agriculture sector. Forty percent of their salaries will come from the DOLE-ARMM and the remaining 60 percent will be shouldered by the employing office or establishment.
The DOLE-ARMM has collaborated with government offices including local government units and number business establishments to provide summer employment to the youth.
Lidasan said they have allotted a slot of 450 beneficiaries in each province in the region and an additional 293 slots has been reserved for walk-in applicants at the DOLE-ARMM’s regional office in Cotabato City.
"We will assure that students in remote villages will be given an opportunity to avail of the program," she added.
In 2015, the DOLE-ARMM has given income-earning opportunity to 2,543 student-SPES beneficiaries. (BPI/APB/PIA-10)
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