ZAMBOANGA
CITY - Close to 2,000 college students were recently hired by the
City Government for the first batch for 2013 summer job program or the Special
Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).
Sheila Covarrubias, City Information
Officer, said the SPES beneficiaries had their orientation and oath taking last
week where Mayor Celso Lobregat called on the beneficiaries “to put to heart
the oath of office they swore to follow as City Government employees
specifically on the aspect of working hours and the delivery of quality public
service.”
Covarrubias said Lobregat appealed to the
students “to utilize the program to help their parents confront the financial
challenges as well as to learn about the value of work and money.”
The
active lady information officer informed that the first batch of SPES
beneficiaries will work for 20 days (April 10 to May 8) and will receive a
salary of P200 per day while the second batch will be reporting to work the from
May 8 to May 31.
“The hired students were mobilized to the
different barangays and various offices to help in the clean and green program,
beautification and cleanliness activities and in various offices to do clerical
works,” Covarrubias said.
She revealed that the program is a
60-40 percent sharing in wages for the student-beneficiaries by the City
Government and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), respectively.
“The City has allocated P9 million
while the DOLE has earmarked P5.8 million for the program in the city,”
Covarrubias confirmed.
She, however, clarified that SPES is not a
scholarship program but rather a 20-day work period intended to help students
earn money for their educational needs in the coming school year.
SPES is jointly undertaken by the city
government and DOLE pursuant to Republic Act 7323, otherwise known as an Act to
help poor but deserving students pursue their studies by providing them
employment during summer vacation. (PIA9)