SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — More than 9,000 students from all over Central Luzon were given employment opportunities under the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) of the Department of Labor and Employment Region 3 (DOLE-3).
“We have achieved a 119 percent accomplishment rate in the implementation of our SPES Program surpassing our annual target of 7,850,” DOLE-3 Regional Director Raymundo Agravante said.
Agravante added that Pampanga got the most SPES slots with 3,846 followed by Nueva Ecija with 1,355; Zambales — 1,306; Bulacan-1,190; Bataan-925; Aurora-842; and Tarlac-218.
The distribution, he said, was based on the SPES provincial performances in the last five years.
SPES is a law-mandated program that seeks to help poor but deserving students pursue their education by enlisting them during summer and/or Christmas vacations.
Provincial, Municipal and City Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) select the students based on the required qualifications as to age, grades, income, and other pertinent documents.
In order to qualify, a student must at least be 18 years old but not more than 25 years old.
Also, the combined net income after tax of his/her parents, including his/her income if any, does not exceed the latest annual poverty threshold level for a family of six as determined and provided by the National Economic and Development Authority and he/she must have obtained passing grades in the last school term attended.
Among the tasks they had include tax mappers, barangay survey personnel, encoders, school assistants, food service crew, gasoline attendants and promotion merchandisers.
The salaries of the students were in accordance to the prescribed minimum wage wherein DOLE shouldered 40 percent while the remaining 60 percent came from the participating companies and LGUs.

Source: Manila Bulletin- December 21, 2012