DOLE SPES assists4,817 poor students in Region 1

At least 4,817 poor but deserving students in Region 1 will benefit from this year’s Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES), the Department of Labor and Employment-Regional Office I today announced. 

Regional Director Grace Ursua said a corresponding budgetary allocation of P17,568,386 has been earmarked for the labor agency’s 40% share in the student-workers’ salaries.  The 60% will be shouldered by the program’s participating employers, namely, local government units, educational institutions and private companies. 

Of the data, the six field offices of the DOLE-RO I have recorded significant numbers of beneficiaries, as follows: Ilocos Norte, 1,060; Ilocos Sur, 771; La Union, 578; Eastern Pangasinan, 771; Central Pangasinan, 674 and Western Pangasinan, 963. 

“Through the SPES, we continue to expose beneficiaries to actual work to help them develop and improve both hard and soft skills, the right attitude and values while they earn for their school needs,” she said.   

Ultimately, the student-workers become more ready for future employment, the regional director added. 

Twenty-two-year-old June Ramon Bagaoisan, a former SPES baby from Piddig, Ilocos Norte, ascribed his successes in life largely to the program. 

June, who is now prepared to settle down with Jeniena Lasam, also a successful SPES baby, is already working as Information Technologist and Assistant School Registrar at the St. Mary’s Seminary in Laoag City.  

From 2011 to 2013, June served as student-worker at the Office of the Vice-President of Religious Affairs of the Divine Word College of Laoag where he completed a degree on   Bachelor of Computer Science.  Every SPES period, he worked as office clerk and learned encoding, filing, recording of documents and many others. 

“I am really thankful to have been a SPES beneficiary because the program served as an opportunity for me to develop various skills, sense of responsibility, confidence, positive outlook in life and strong faith in God,” he said. 

An employment bridging program, the SPES helps students and out-of-school youth finish their education by employing them during summer and/or Christmas vacations.