By Alma L. Tingcang
PAGADIAN CITY, February 1 (PIA) - - The Department of Labor and Employment is set to release this week, checks amounting to P1,210,000.00 for Starter Kits/NegoKart beneficiaries in the province of Zamboanga del Sur.
This was revealed by Assistant Regional Director Virginia L. Bonbon in an interview with Philippine Information Agency (PIA) recently.
“We are almost done with the preparation of the checks. Aside from these livelihood assistance to 116 beneficiaries in the province, we will also release the amount of P546,316.00 to 310 SPES grantees in the municipalities of Bayog, Dimataling, Margosatubig, Kumalarang, Tigbao, Molave, Lapuyan, Sominot, Ramon Magsaysay, to include Emcotech and Zamsureco I,” ARD Bonbon said.
She said this is the first batch release for SPES 2011 and the next batch will be released by February.
The Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) is mandated under Republic Act No. 9547 otherwise known as "An Act To Help Poor But Deserving Students Pursue Their Education By Encouraging Their Employment During Summer and/or Christmas Vacations, Through Incentives Granted to Employers, Allowing Them to Pay Only Sixty Per Centum of Their Salaries or Wages and The Forty Per Centum Through Education Vouchers To Be Paid By the Government, Prohibiting and Penalizing The Filing of Fraudulent and Fictitious Claims, and For Other Purposes", Under this law, the Secretary of Labor and Employment is designated Program Director of the SPES.
It is aimed to develop the intellectual capacities of children of poor families and harness their potentials for the country's well being.
“Starter Kit beneficiaries from the municipalities of Tigbao, Labangan and OFW beneficiaries will receive a total of P1,060,000.00 while for the Negokarts, 10 beneficiaries from San Miguel will receive P15,000 each. Summing it up, we will be releasing P1,210,000.00 for the month of January,” she explained.
The DOLE Kabuhayan (DK) Starter KITS Project is a livelihood formation strategy that is intended to bring about improved socio-economic well-being of workers in the informal economy, in groups/sectors with special concerns, and displaced wage workers (local and overseas) and their families.
It provides starter KITS consisting of a package of services that will enable the target beneficiaries to start a livelihood undertaking quickly thereby providing them opportunities for sustainable self-employment.
Negosyo sa Kariton (Negokart) is the latest livelihood assistance of DOLE for ambulant vendors wherein each beneficiary will receive a vending cart, livelihood tools, and a starting capital for the procurement or production of marketable goods. (ALT-PIA9/Zambo Sur)