DIPOLOG CITY – A total of 65 students from Kalawit were given the opportunity to earn an income this summer through the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

This after DOLE Zamboanga del Norte Field Office through its DOLE Liloy Satellite Office conducted a Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) Orientation to said students on July 21, 2023 at Training Center, Kalawit, Zamboanga del Norte.

The SPES is DOLE’s youth employment-bridging program which aims to provide temporary employment to poor but deserving students, out-of-school youth, and dependents of displaced or would-be displaced workers during summer and/or Christmas vacation or any time of the year to augment the family’s income to help ensure that beneficiaries are able to pursue their education.

LGU Kalawit Municipal Mayor, Salvador Antojado, Jr. expressed his gratitude to DOLE for all the interventions provided to their municipality. As a 4th class municipality with limited resources, he is most thankful to DOLE for granting their request for the approval of the 40%-60% sharing scheme where the LGU only covers 40% of the salary of the SPES grantees while DOLE will cover the 60%. Thus, more beneficiaries were given an opportunity to work under SPES.

He also explained to the SPES beneficiaries that they will be conducting clean-ups around Poblacion. He further stressed that it is important to maintain public areas clean and green as the LGU is developing Kalawit being a 4th class municipality to become a viable tourism destination in the southern part of the province.

Joni Sarina Mejico, LEO III, expressed DOLE’s gratitude to the LGU led by Mayor Antojado for the warm accommodation and immediate implementation of DOLE Programs.

“Dako kaayo’g tabang nga kanunay kong naapil sa SPES. Kugi-kugi ra gyud ta. (It is such a great help for me being constantly part of SPES. We really need to work hard)” expressed Rizel Jane Quintero, SPES baby, who is an incoming 2nd year Bachelor of Science in Business Management student at Jose Rizal Memorial State University – Tampilisan Campus (JRMSU-TC).

Meanwhile, Dolores Cadil, Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Manager of LGU Kalawit, shared that SPES beneficiaries will be directly under the supervision of PESO but they will be assigned to different areas. She urged them to work hard and shared that their accomplishments will also be monitored daily. END/With reports from Joni Sarina R. Mejico, LEO-III, DOLE LSO