BY AARON CHRISTIAN D. RUSIANA VIA and KISHA MICA BARDAGO/UM Interns
THE PUBLIC Employment Service Office (PESO) revealed that only 465 slots will be doled out for the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) this year.
SPES is a Department of Labor and Employment program that offers temporary jobs to underprivileged students to help them earn while studying and also gain real-world experience.
Of the 465 slots, 60% will be employed by the city government and private companies, while 40% will be assigned to DOLE XI.
Shirley Sahid, focal person of the program at PESO, said the program is open to students ages 15-30 years old under Republic Act 9547 or “An Act strengthening and expanding the coverage of the special program for employment of students.”
Qualified students must belong to families with income thresholds not exceeding P168,000 per year.
DOLE XI tapped Gaisano Mall of Davao, Jollibee, McDonald’s, and others as partner agencies. The accepted students are given at least a minimum of 22 days to work.
SPES started its interview for beneficiaries last March 29, 2025, with 20 Indigenous Peoples getting 20 of the 30 initial slots.
“Adunay lang tay 465 slots na gihatag sa DOLE, so very limited lang sya pero ang ilahang pag-apply aning SPES is once a year lang but they can apply next year (DOLE only gave us 465 slots, so it’s very limited. SPES applications are only once a year but they can apply next year),” Sahid said
