A total of 458 beneficiaries of the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) from various barangays in Bago City have started receiving their salaries July 15.
Mayor Mayette Javellana-Yao graced the payout at the Jubilee Hall, together with Public Employment Services Office (PESO) Bago manager Allan Señeres and City Treasurer Caruso Villaflor Jr.
Javellana-Yao, in her message, said she hopes that the salary received by the students will really help them, especially in their school needs.
“Rest assured that we will really be supportive of the program, the SPES, which has been helping a lot of students for many years,” she said, adding “we hope it will help more students who are deserving of the program.”
The program was implemented through the joint efforts of the city government of Bago and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
SPES is the youth employment-bridging initiative of the DOLE that provides temporary work opportunities to poor but deserving students, out-of-school-youth, and dependents of displaced or at-risk workers.
It is aimed at helping families earn additional income while supporting the educational pursuits of student-beneficiaries.
In Bago, the deployment for this year started June 2, with 230 students assigned to various city government offices for 20 days.
These are on top of the 228 students rendering services for 10 days in their respective barangays.
Each participant received a daily wage of P615, the city said in a press release July 16.
Funding support from the city government’s GAD Fund totaled P3,099,600.
Of the amount, P1,697,400 was allocated for the 20-day beneficiaries and P1,402,200 for the 10-day beneficiaries.
The DOLE also contributed to the salaries of the 230 students, who rendered 20 days of service assigned to government offices, covering 40 percent of their wages.
The initiative also reflects the city’s continued commitment to empowering its youth by bridging learning and livelihood. ||
