The Nigerian proverb exists in different forms in many African languages. The basic meaning of which is that ‘child upbringing is a collective effort.’ While it is the basic duty of a parent to send his children to school and get them educated, he is not alone, and should not be alone in carrying out this intrinsic responsibility.
In many situations, especially with the prevalence of poverty within individual housing units, the constant rise in commodity prices, the shutting down of companies, and the countless uncertainties of our times — a parent may not have the capacity to continuously send his child to school.
To at least alleviate this reality, the national government created the Special Program for the Employment of Students, an endeavor spearheaded by the Department of Labor & Employment and the Department of Education.
The City Government of Dumaguete consistently takes part in this laudable program and has been in it for more than 10 years now.
For 2017, it has earmarked P396,000 (P2,400 for each student) from its budget in order to give 165 students engaged in the program a chance to be enrolled in school during the 2017-2018 school year.
This year, there are 165 student-beneficiaries of the program. These students are assigned to different City government offices; in return, they will receive P2,400, while another P1,600 will be given out by DOLE thereby receiving P4,000 all in all.
Yes, the amount may not be a huge sum but it certainly can start a young person in pursuing further his studies.
The Special Program for Employment of Students is mandated under Republic Act No. 9547 otherwise known as An Act to Help Poor but Deserving Students Pursue their Education by Encouraging their Employment during Summer and/or Christmas Vacations, through Incentives Granted to Employers, Allowing them to Pay only 60 Percent of their Salaries or Wages and the 40 Percent through Education Vouchers to be Paid by Government, Prohibiting and Penalizing the Filing of Fraudulent and Fictitious Claims, and for Other Purposes, under this law, the Secretary of Labor and Employment is designated program director.
The objective of the SPES is to develop the intellectual capacities of children of poor families and harness their potentials for the country’s wellbeing.
Specifically, the Program aims to help poor but deserving students pursue their education by providing income or augment their income through encouraging their employment during summer and/or Christmas vacations.
And that is because education does not only mean going to school. It just does not mean getting good grades and receiving a diploma after a specified number of years. Education means a lot more than that.
When one is educated, one is caring about the environment. He is compassionate about the less fortunate members of the community. This person seeks to improve himself so that he can be a productive member of society capable of helping/assisting others who are in dire need. An educated person serves others. The educated person does not enrich himself at the expense of others.
With the City government’s effort in sustaining the SPES initiative under the leadership Mayor Ipe Remollo, we can truly say that our youth has a titanic chance of succeeding in life and of making something out of themselves despite the deplorable situations they might be in.
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Author’s email: wea_129@yahoo.com
