DOLE earmarks more funds for summer jobs

MANILA, Philippines -  The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is allocating additional funds for low-income local government units (LGUs) to hire more student workers this summer.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said low-income LGUs just need to submit a request to the labor department to shoulder a higher percentage share in the salary of the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) beneficiaries.

“Up to 75 percent share will be shouldered by DOLE of the salaries of SPES beneficiaries to be employed by LGUs in sixth-class municipality and up to 60 percent for fifth-class municipality and a 50-percent share for fourth-class municipality,” Bello said.

Bello said the newly approved implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the amended SPES Law allow the DOLE to cover a bigger share of the beneficiaries’ salaries.

The new IRR, which is set to take effect in April, will enable the government to effectively implement SPES.

Normally, 60 percent of the salary of student beneficiaries is paid by private or public employers  while the remaining 40 percent is shouldered by the labor department. 

The agency has previously allocated P708 million for the SPES implementation this year.

The SPES, Bello reiterated, aims to provide beneficiaries with short-term job opportunities during summer or Christmas vacation to help them continue their education in any secondary, tertiary or technical-vocational institution.

Under the new IRR, the age qualification of applicants has been extended from 15 to 30 years old.

The program has also been expanded to include children of displaced parents due to business closures, work stoppages or natural calamities. 

From the previous 20 to 52 days, SPES beneficiaries may now also be employed from 20 to 78 days, except during Christmas vacation when employment is from 10 to 15 days only.   

Bello said services rendered during the period of employment related to the course of the beneficiary may have equivalent academic and practicum or on-the-job training credits as may be determined by appropriate government agencies.

Period of employment of SPES beneficiaries who were eventually hired as employees by the same employer shall form part of their probationary period.

SPES beneficiaries can now be covered under the Group Personal Accident Insurance of the Government Service Insurance System for one year.