ILOILO CITY, April 2 (PNA) — Students interested to avail of the Department of Labor and Employment’s Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) can approach the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of their respective local government units.

DOLE Regional director Ponciano M. Ligutom said that the SPES program is now ongoing in Western Visayas with different local government units and private companies partnering with them for the implementation.

The budget allocation for the implementation of the program for the region is P22 million which will be utilized to pay forty percent of the wages due the student beneficiaries with the sixty percent being paid for by their partner local government units and private companies.

Western Visayas has a minimum daily wage of P287 of which student beneficiaries working in private companies ought to receive at least 75 percent of it as wage. The rate, however, differs with the local government units.

Ligutom said that DOLE is also now processing cash cards for the early beneficiaries so they could receive their money, which they used to get before in the form of checks.

The SPES, which is being implemented year-round but mostly availed of during summer months, could run for 20-52 days. DOLE Region 6, however, wants it to be at least 30 days or more. (PNA)
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