Mayor Celso Lobregat has emphasized the value of work as he called on beneficiaries of the Summer Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) to take full advantage of the opportunity given them by the city government.

Some 1,432 high school students were hired to compose the second batch of the SPES program pursuant to Republic Act 7323 otherwise known as the Act to help poor but deserving students pursue their studies by providing them employment during summer vacation.

Mayor Lobregat led in the orientation of the students yesterday morning at the City Coliseum together with City Social Welfare Officer Francisco Barredo, Department of Labor and Employment assistant Regional director Yaya Centi and City Human Resource Management Officer Erlina Sanchez.

The mayor called on the second batch of summer job students attending the orientation yesterday to do their best in their respective jobs and take advantage of the opportunity accorded them by the city government.

?Seize the opportunity to earn at the same time learn the value and dignity of work. Please, make use of this opportunity,? the mayor said.

Prior to his message, Mayor Lobregat led the students in reciting the oath of office in chabacano.

Like in the orientation of the first batch of SPES composing college students last month, the chief executive likewise stressed that the implementation of the SPES is not covered by the election ban and that he has secured clearance from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to avoid legal impediments in the future.

The mayor likewise sought to clarify wrong information fed by his opponents that the SPES is a scholarship program and that the students should not be made to work in order to earn their way through high school or college.

?This is not a scholarship program but a program aimed to help poor but deserving students pursue their studies by providing them employment during summer vacation?, the mayor clarified. ?If they are officials of the government and they do not know what they are talking about, they do not deserve to be officials of the city?.

The chief executive further stressed that SPES is not only meant to help the students? parents provide for their tuition fees but also to intended to teach the youths the value of work. ?Work is very important and at your early age you should know the value of work?.

The SPES is now on its 16th year of the implementation and the city governments boasts of a number of beneficiaries who were able to finish college and eventually land decent jobs because of the summer job program.

City Social Welfare and Development Officer Francisco L. Barredo, who is also the Public Employment Services Office (PESO) manager, who implements the program said SPES is one of the city?s pro-poor programs.

?It is a joint undertaking between the city government and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in terms of payment of wages,? Barredo said, explaining that under the law the city will pay 60% of the wages, while the remaining 40% will shouldered by DOLE.

For this year, the city government has appropriated the amount of P8 million that is expected to generate a total of 2,909 slots/jobs this summer. These slots were distributed to the different barangays and some selected offices.

The first batch of 1,438 mostly college students are entitled to 20 days of work from April 6 to May 4, 2010. Each student will receive P172.72 daily wages or P3,454.40 for 20 days, of which 60% or P2,072.60 will be drawn from the city government, while the 40% or P1,381.80 will paid by DOLE.

The students will be assigned in the barangays and different offices of the city government.

Also present during the orientation program yesterday were Lobregat?s running mate Cesar Iturralde and council aspirants from the LDP-AZaP, barangay officials and other personalities.