The Special Program for the Employment of Students of the Department of Labor and Employment got a boost yesterday with the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the DOLE and fast food firm McDonald’s Philippines, a press release from the agency said.

SPES is intended for students and out-of-school youth, and the latest MOA ensures jobs for close to 4,000 beneficiaries, the DOLE said.

Picking up from the successful pilot-testing of SPES in 44 McDonald’s restaurants in the latter part of 2011, Golden Arches Development Corporation, McDonald's franchise holder in the Philippines, renewed its partnership with the DOLE, by rolling out the program to all McDonald’s restaurants in the country, the press release said.

“By entering into an agreement with the government through the DOLE, McDonald’s Philippines clearly understands the significance of giving back to the community that patronizes their company,” DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said.

The MOA signing was held at a McDonald’s outlet at the Greenbelt Center, Makati City, the press release said.

“This partnership speaks highly of McDonald’s social responsibility and we appreciate very much the company’s effort and commitment in accommodating our SPES beneficiaries by providing them jobs this school break,” Baldoz added.

Though the MOA students and out-of-school youth in areas where there are McDonald’s restaurants may apply at the nearest local government Public Employment Service Office where they will be screened and interviewed.

Applicants should be between 17 to 20 years old, with average passing grades, and whose parents’ income is not more than Php120,000 per annum for them to qualify, the press release said.

The DOLE and McDonald’s Philippines have agreed to hire 3,900 qualified students wherein McDonald’s will pay 60 percent of the beneficiary’s basic salary while the DOLE the remaining 40 percent.  The fastfood company shall also shoulder the GSIS premium of the SPES beneficiaries.

Baldoz said that SPES beneficiaries shall work a minimum of four hours a day to a maximum of eight hours, six days a week.

The SPES, a ‘bridging employment’ program for the youth supervised by the DOLE’S Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns, aims to help poor but deserving students to pursue their education by encouraging employment of all qualified high school, college or vocational/technical students, and out-of-school youth (OSY) with partner companies, the press release said.

Baldoz said the forging of the MOA with McDonald’s Philippines is consistent with the DOLE’s thrusts for 2012 which is to further strengthen the SPES, particularly since the program last year effectively served national efforts towards poverty reduction and the preparation of the country’s underprivileged youth for productive employment.

The DOLE chief disclosed that the 2012 SPES budget of P340,282,000 will benefit 140,000 poor but deserving students all over the country.

The national government had earlier released an additional P168.1 million budget for the SPES last year, the press release added.*

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