Negros Occidental topped the number of students under the Special Program for the Employment of Students of the Department of Labor and Employment, a press release from the Philippine Information Agency said.

Forty-four percent of the region’s more than 9,000 poor but deserving students in the first half of 2014 or a total of 3,990 students, were from Negros Occidental, it said.
In close second is Iloilo province with 2,192 students or 24 percent of the region’s target.

These students find employment and earn income for their tuition fees and other school needs, the press release said.

Students under SPES work for 20-55 days as mandated by Republic Act 7323 that encourages employment of poor but deserving students during summer or Christmas vacations.

DOLE Regional Director Ponciano Ligutom said he is confident that the region will exceed its target in December when companies hire additional employees during the Christmas season to augment their manpower complement.

Ligutom said about P55-million was allocated to SPES and it will pay out about P20-million by August.

Another employment program of DOLE, the Government Internship Program, engaged a total of 622 indigent and young workers in the region from January to June this year.
About 507 workers were deployed in local government units and 115 in national government agencies, public hospitals, and state colleges and universities.

The employment of these GIP interns may run for six months and may receive 75 percent of the existing minimum wage of P287.*

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