LAOAG CITY, May 9 — The Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) has continued to help poor but deserving students in pursuing their education by providing them employment this summer break.

A total of 300 students were chosen as beneficiaries for this year’s SPES to be funded by the city government of Laoag and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Community Affairs Division and Public Employment Services Office (CAD-PESO) Manager Mylene Isabel Pascual said the beneficiaries started working on April 29.

“Students will work with registered private firms, government offices or department with different kinds of jobs related to the student’s course,” Pascual said.

Laoag City Mayor Chevylle Farinas said the city government will work on sustaining the program to help more poor students.

“In as much as we wanted to add the numbers of beneficiaries, it will always depend on our budget, so what the city can do is either to surpass or sustain it,” Fari?as said.

The SPES caters to students ages 15-25 years old, either a high school or college student with no failing grades.

For 20 working days, they are entitled to at least a minimum wage of which 60 percent will come from the city government and 40 percent from the DOLE.

The SPES is a program funded by the city government and DOLE and was enacted on March 30, 1992 under RA 7323.

Meanwhile, Laoag City’ Public Employment Service Office (PESO) was hailed as the best implementing LGU in the region one for 2013 in a recent regional congress held at Baguio City.

DOLE Regional Director Grace Y. Ursua personally brought over and handed the certificates to CAD-PESO manager Mylene Pascual and Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas during her visit to Laoag recently. (CHERRY JOY D. GARMA)