Around 250 senior high school and college students have started working in the different offices of the Dumaguete City government under the 20-day Special Program for the Employment of Students launched by the Department of Labor & Employment Region 7.
The initiative aims to provide financial assistance of more than P10,000 to each student, while giving them valuable work experience during their summer break.
By offering short-term employment opportunities, the program helps students like Rica Losbaños, an incoming 3rd year Tourism student at Negros Oriental State University, fund their education while gaining practical skills.
“This SPES is a big help for me because I am able to earn money but I also learn about my passion, which is communicating with people,” Losbaños said in the vernacular. “It also helps me develop professionalism and understand the realities of being a working girl,” she added.
Dumaguete has consistently produced a high number of SPES graduates. During the 122nd Labor Day celebration, DOLE-7 Director Lilia Estillore honored the City as a “SPES Superstar”, citing its efforts to “expand the program, and provide meaningful employment” to hundreds of students.
For many beneficiaries, SPES is more than just a job, it’s also a stepping stone towards a better future.
Allen Ragay, a 20-year-old freshman at NORSU, who had previously worked in a construction site, said SPES will help him pursue his studies. “This will help me provide for my own needs, and build up my experience,” he said.
The program also benefits the community at large by fostering a sense of responsibility and work ethic among the youth.
Lislie Cadeliña, an incoming 2nd year Education student at NORSU, highlighted the dual impact of SPES. “I am thankful because this opportunity not only helps me financially but also gives me work experience. It shows that the government is thinking about us students, especially those who really need help,” she said. (JCT/PIA7 NegOr, with reports from Joriz Angel Palermo & Angelikka Rose Remollo/SU Masscom interns)
