SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian is urging the Department of Labor and Employment to ensure that the Special Program for Employment of Students contributes to the job readiness of senior high school students.

Gatchalian cited a 2020 report by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation, which found that the SPES had no significant impact on academic outcomes or work readiness in the medium term.

The DOLE, in partnership with local government units, implements the SPES to provide temporary employment opportunities for youth during school breaks. For 2026, P800 million has been allotted for the program.

“If we can link the SPES to our senior high school students, we can give them work and help them gain experience,” said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.

According to Labor Undersecretary Carmela Torres, the DOLE is working to ensure that students’ work assignments provide them with practical experience, life skills, and exposure to real-world work environments.

Gatchalian also noted that supporting senior high school students through SPES could help address Filipinos’ growing dissatisfaction with the senior high school program.

In 2024, DOLE assisted 84,745 beneficiaries through the SPES.