Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Supports SPES

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) strongly pushed for the enactment of House Bill No. 203 principally authored by Bohol Congressman Edgar M. Chatto. The Bill is entitled " An Act Strengthening further and Broadening the coverage of the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) amending for the purpose certain provisions of RA no. 7323" .

DOLE Asst Secretary Rey Conferido explained during the Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting of the House Committee on Labor last May 8, 2008 that the Chatto Bill is a direct response to a wide clamor for expansion of the program to cover more student beneficiaries who wish to get employment during vacation to help raise the needed funds for their tuition fees in the ensuing school year. Conferido said that this is a pro-poor and pro-people measure which deserve everybody's support.

Congressman Chatto in an interview said that this bill enables more poor but deserving students to acquire quality education by working during vacations for a period of not less than 20 days and not more than 52 days. He asserted that the Bill allows private enterprises employing not less than 10 workers to join the program effectively expanding the SPES coverage. It is also pegging the participating student's salary rate on the minimum wage for private employers and the applicable hiring rate for national and local government agencies.

Chatto added that the Bill likewise provides that the students employed in activities related to their course may earn equivalent academic credits as determined by the appropriate government agencies and academic institutions. He further said that their work experience may be credited by employers as part of their probationary period prescribed in the Labor Code. Cong Chatto further explained that another feature of the Bill is indexing the income qualifications for SPES to the annual regional poverty threshold line for a family of six, to insulate it from the rigors of legislative amendments every time there is as shift in poverty line.

Director Rafael Chico of the Philippine Association of Local Service Contractors also manifested their group's full support to the Bill. He was joined by Attyy Levy Edwin Ang of SALIGAN and Professor Cesario Azucena of the University of the Philippines SOLAIR and Ateneo de Manila University.- published by the Bohol Standard

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