In a brief visit by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Bohol yesterday, the President signed into law the amendments to Republic Act 7323; the “Act Strengthening and Expanding the Coverage of the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES)” or SPES as commonly known.
The signing took place at the Bohol Wisdom School Gymnasium during the launching of the SK’s “Sama-sama para sa Kalikasan” Green Philippines Project.
House Bill No. 5388 / Senate Bill No.2116, the measure will strengthen and expand the coverage of the SPES for poor but deserving students during the Christmas and summer vacations.
Under SPES, some of the salient provisions are:
(1) Employment of poor but deserving students during Christmas and summer vacations; (2) Payment of minimum wages; (3) Inclusion of the work period as part of the probationary period for those who will subsequently be employed in the same company who hired them under SPES; (4) Conversion of the student’s work into equivalent academic credits for work activities related to their course; and (5) Provision of option for LGUs to assume the responsibility of paying in full the salary of students under the SPES.