Beng allocates P9.27M for SPES

• Source:http://zamboangatimes.ph/top-news/18162-new-crackdown-launched-today-vs-overcharging-trike-drivers.html
• Tuesday, March 29, 2016 13:21

By Sheila Covarrubias

Mayor Beng Climaco has allocated some P9.27 million for the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) benefitting 2,760 college and high school students this year.

Organized annually with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the SPES will be implemented April 11-May 6 for the first batch composed of 1,400 college students and May 5-May 28 for the second batch composed of 1,360 high school students.

The program is created under Republic Act 7323, series of 1999 as amended by RA 9547 which seeks to encourage employment during summer, through incentives granted by the Local Government Units (LGUs) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on a 60-40% sharing.

The SPES beneficiary will receive a compensation of P280 per day or a total of P5,600 for the 20-day period program. P168 or 60% will come from the LGU while the P112.00 or 40% will be paid by the DOLE.

DOLE allocation for the SPES this year is P6.18M.

Registration period for selection of SPES beneficiaries through the barangays was Feb. 18-March 10, 2016. Deadline for submission to the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) under the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) is March 16 for the first batch and April 15 for the second batch. An applicant must be 15-25 years old; enrolled during high school and obtained passing marks. Requirements include birth or baptismal certificate; High School card or school certification with average ratings for college students; income tax return for parents employed in government or private organizations or barangay certification of indigency for parents who are unemployed; SPES form 2 with 2x2 picture and school ID.

Under the law, work program or activities in the barangays include the conduct of profiling/updating of household family members in areas with pocket of poverty, vulnerable to calamities and other disasters such as flashfloods and other incidents; assign in health centers/ wellness to assist the medical workers; assign in day care centers to assist day care workers in teaching pupils; assign in city government offices located in the barangay; assign in barangays to assist the barangay activity provided it is on official work. Should the program be clean and green- the work of students must not just be on the roadside but would include along river banks and shorelines, if there is but precautionary measures must be properly observed and the use of bladed weapons are discouraged.

Considering that the program is being undertaken during the election period, the SPES beneficiaries are not allowed to engage in partisan politics such as distributing campaign materials or performing any act that may be attributed to election activities of any political party/person.