BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The Department of Labor and Employment-Cordillera (DOLE) continues to empower the youth through its Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).
SPES aims to help students ages 15 to 30 by providing short-term employment opportunities during summer and Christmas break.
“Actually for this year, we have 4,038 SPES beneficiaries dito sa Cordillera, distributed in the six provinces of the Cordillera, ‘yung Abra, Apayao, Baguio, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province,” SPES focal person Patrick Rillorta said.
The program has made a significant impact to thousands of beneficiaries in the region making substantial progress in helping them pursue their education, and eventually transitioning to the workforce.
Valerie, a former SPES beneficiary, shared her experience on how this program helped her become a livelihood development specialist of DOLE.
“So until nung tinry kong mag-apply for higher position, luckily nabigyan din ulit ng chance. So, I would say na talagang ‘yung SPESas my background is a stepping stone for me na makapasok sa government,” she shared.
To apply to SPES program, students are required to submit a certificate of indigency and proof of enrollment. Beneficiaries may be deployed to various government offices and private companies where they can gain valuable work experience that will enhance their educational journey. (JDP/DEG/Ralph Christian Delos Santos, PIA CAR- PHINMA UPang Intern)
