The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has opened 54 new job slots for financially-challenged students in Oriental Mindoro.
Giselle Castro, of the DOLE - Oriental Mindoro, said the temporary jobs were opened for senior high school and college students who are seeking work to sustain their studies under the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES).
Castro said the new group of SPES beneficiaries from Bulalacao town will get P455.18 per day, which is significantly higher than Region 4B's minimum salary of P355.
Bulalacao was among the municipalities in the province of Oriental Mindoro that were recently affected by the oil spill on the coast of Naujan town.
“The LGU will be responsible for paying 60 percent of the student's salary, while DOLE will be shouldering the other 40 percent,” said Castro.
She explained that those who want to avail of the program should provide a certificate of indigency from their respective barangays. Likewise, they are required to sign an undertaking stating that their salary will be used to finance their education.
“The SPES program is now also open to out-of-school-youths (OSYs) provided they are also willing to commit to using their salaries to pay for their future enrollment,” Castro said.
Dioner Escarez, manager of the Public Employment Service Office in Bulalacao town, said 80 students participated in the screening and orientation session this week to compete for the SPES positions that were open.
With the additional slots provided, Oriental Mindoro now has 721 SPES. (Nicole Magmanlac)