The Public Employment Services Offices (PESO) in Davao del Norte will implement starting this year the amended law on Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).
This after the Department of Labor and Employment in the region (DOLE XI) oriented their PESO managers and SPES focal persons on Republic Act 10917 or the law that further strengthens and expands Republic Act 7323 or SPES Act of 2002.
The orientation was held on Wednesday at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan in Tagum City.
Marlito Ayala of DOLE XI detailed the features of the new SPES law, which include expanding the age range of a SPES grantee from 15-25 years old to 15-30 years old.
Ayala also stressed that not only poor children belonging to a family of six people with an income below P 11,377.20 monthly can avail of the program, but also those children whose families are victims of calamity or their parents are displaced workers.
He emphasized that the employment period of a SPES beneficiary is now stretched to 78 days from 52 days on the previous year and 15 days for December employment, which is formerly 10 days only.
He said that one of the features of the new law is that the DOLE will give its share of salary in cash or check, directly to the students or through its Landbank ATM, instead of educational vouchers.
DOLE also expands its share given to the local government units up to 75% of the SPES salary depending on LGU’s income-class, he added. (PIA11/Michael Uy)
