Dinalupihan, Bataan—More than 1,000 college students from this town have availed of the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).
With a fund of P9.5 million good for 1,000 students, Mayor Gila Garcia said excess SPES applicants are accommodated with funding from Iskolar ng Bataan.
The local government unit, under the program, provides 60 percent of the salary of the student and the 40 percent coming from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“Students will be required to work in the office under the LGU where they will be paid P9,000 plus for 20 days,” the mayor said.
However, due to the coronavirus disease pandemic, Garcia said they decided to have the students plant vegetables instead.
She said the move is aligned to the vision of the municipal government of making the town a model agropolis or model center of agriculture in Central Luzon.
Garcia said SPES beneficiaries will keep the harvest for themselves.