280 Kalinga students to earn up to P12K under SPES summer jobs program

Tabuk City, Kalinga – More than 280 students in Kalinga are set to benefit from the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES), helping them continue their education while gaining valuable work experience in government offices.

The beneficiaries, composed of college and senior high school students, underwent an orientation on Monday, May 25, at the Kalinga Sports Complex, where the Public Employment Service Office (PESO)-Kalinga briefed them on workplace ethics, attendance and timekeeping policies, and the responsibilities they are expected to fulfill during their employment period.

In an interview with Guru Press Cordillera, PESO-Kalinga manager-designate Ermilinda P. Wandag said that the salaries of 50 beneficiaries will be fully funded by the Kalinga Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU).

They are set to work for 10 days with a daily wage of P607.18. Each student is expected to receive a total of P6,071.80 upon completion of the program.

Meanwhile, the remaining 230 beneficiaries are under the regular SPES implementation jointly funded by the PLGU and the Department of Labor and Employment. Under the scheme, the PLGU will shoulder 60 percent of the funding, while DOLE will provide the remaining 40 percent.

These beneficiaries will work for 20 days with the same daily wage rate, allowing each student to receive a total compensation of P12,143.60.

According to Wandag, SPES is not only intended to provide financial assistance to students but also to help them gain work experience and learn how government offices operate.

She also expressed hope that the students would use the opportunity to develop discipline, professionalism, and good work habits that they can carry into their future careers.

“I hope the students will value work and responsibility because these experiences will help prepare them for their future careers. That is one of the purposes of SPES, aside from providing them work during their vacation,” Wandag said.