BAGUIO CITY – The city government is now accepting applications for 300 slots of the 2025 Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).

Michelle Agbuya, manager of the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), which is in charge of the SPES program, said in a phone interview on Friday that they would soon conduct an examination to identify the qualifiers.

She said there are already 638 applicants —475 are new applicants while the rest are old grantees, thus the need to do a screening.

“Both the old grantees and the new applicants will be subjected to the same screening process to give a fair and equal treatment to all the applicants, considering the numerous aspirants compared to the available slots,” Agbuya said.

Qualified for the SPES program are those 15 to 30 years of age, bona fide Baguio residents, mentally and physically fit, with good moral character, with an annual family income not exceeding PHP169,824, and with a passing general weighted average grade.

Agbuya said that aside from the salary that the students will receive, they will also undergo training and have an experience of working in a government office.

“This is also a good experience that they can show once they finish their studies and eventually start to look for a job,” she said.

The SPES is an annual collaborative program of the city government and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that provides short term employment to students, especially the poor and marginalized, to allow them to raise their tuition-money for the succeeding school year or semester.

“The program aims to help poor but deserving students finish their studies by giving them employment opportunities during their school breaks,” Agbuya said.

The grantees will work as administrative aides and will be paid the prevailing daily minimum wage in the region.

Under the program, 40 percent of the wage will be shouldered by the DOLE and 60 percent by the local government unit. (PNA)