MR. PRESIDENT, DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES OF THIS AUGUST CHAMBER, YOUR COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT, CHAIRED BY THIS HUMBLE REPRESENTATION, HAVE THE HONOR TO SPONSOR SENATE BILL NO. 2116, UNDER COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 14, A MEASURE SEEKING TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND THE COVERAGE OF THE SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS (SPES) BY AMENDING CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7323, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS (SPES).”

YOUR HONOR, IT SAID THAT EDUCATION REMAINS THE MOST EFFECTIVE INSTRUMENT OF HUMAN LIBERATION AND DEVELOPMENT. IN FACT, OUR FUNDAMENTAL LAW MANDATES THAT APPROPRIATE STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN BY OUR GOVERNMENT TO MAKE EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. ADDITIONALLY, SECTION 1, ARTICLE XIV OF OUR 1987 CONSTITUTION STATES THAT “THE STATE SHALL PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE RIGHT OF ALL CITIZENS TO QUALITY EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS AND SHALL TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO MAKE SUCH EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.”

AS A BACKGROUND, MR. PRESIDENT, THE SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS (SPES) WAS INSTITUTED UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7323 IN 1992, ALMOST FIFTEEN (15) YEARS AGO, TO HELP OUR POOR BUT DESERVING STUDENTS TO PURSUE THEIR EDUCATION BY ENCOURAGING THEIR EMPLOYMENT DURING SUMMER AND/OR CHRISTMAS VACATIONS. THIS LEGISLATIVE MEASURE WAS ENVISIONED TO BE AN “EARN-AND-LEARN PROGRAM” IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE PRODUCTIVE WORK ETHICS OF OUR YOUNG WORKING STUDENT.

MR. PRESIDENT, AS ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED, THE SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS (SPES) UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7323, ENABLED COMPANIES OR BUSINESSES TO EMPLOY STUDENTS DURING THE SUMMER AND/OR CHRISTMAS VACATIONS AND ALLOWING THEM TO PAY ONLY 60% OF THE SALARIES AND WAGES AND THE 40% THROUGH EDUCATION VOUCHERS TO BE PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT. SUCH VOUCHERS ARE THEN APPLICABLE IN THE PAYMENT OF THE STUDENT’S TUITION FEES AND BOOKS IN ANY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION FOR SECONDARY, TERTIARY, VOCATIONAL TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION.

IN A PRELIMINARY REPORT FROM DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT (DOLE), THE SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS (SPES) HAS BENEFITED ALMOST 400,000 STUDENTS FROM POOR FAMILIES NATIONWIDE FROM 2001 TO 2005. THE TOTAL BENEFICIARIES DURING THE PERIOD COMPRISED SOME 40.4% OF AROUND 984,840 STUDENTS WHO BENEFITED UNDER SPES SINCE 1995. INDEED, YOUR HONOR, THE SPES PROGRAM HAS HELPED OUR POOR BUT DESERVING WORKING STUDENTS GRADUATE AND EARN A COLLEGE DEGREE OR VOCATIONAL DIPLOMA.

HOWEVER, LIKE ALL OTHER PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED BY OUR GOVERNMENT, MR. PRESIDENT, THE SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS (SPES) NEEDS TO BE AMENDED AND FURTHER STRENGTHENED IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE CHANGING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF OUR COUNTRY.

IN GENERAL, MR. PRESIDENT, THIS MEASURE SEEKS TO ALLOW THE EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS NOT ONLY DURING THE SUMMER OR CHRISTMAS VACATIONS BUT FOR THE WHOLE YEAR. IN ADDITION TO THIS, YOUR HONOR, THIS MEASURE SEEKS TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7323 BY PROPOSING THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS, NAMELY:

EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF THE STUDENTS WHO MAY BE QUALIFIED TO AVAIL OF THE SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS BEING IMPLEMENTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT (DOLE);
MAKING THE SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS (SPES) MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE POOR BUT DESERVING STUDENTS BY REMOVING THE THRESHOLD AMOUNT FOR THE MAXIMUM FAMILY INCOME REQUIREMENT TO ALLOW MORE STUDENTS TO AVAIL OF THE PROGRAM;
DOWN-SIZING THE RESTRICTIVE REQUIREMENT OF AT LEAST FIFTY (50) EMPLOYEES TO MORE THAN FIFTEEN (15) EMPLOYEES FOR AN EMPLOYER TO QUALIFY UNDER THE SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS (SPES);
PENALIZING ANY PERSON OR ENTITY WHO REFUSES OR DISHONORS THE EDUCATIONAL VOUCHERS PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT TO THE STUDENT-EMPLOYEE WITH IMPRISONMENT OF NOT LESS THAN SIX (6) MONTHS TO ONE (1) YEAR AND A FINE OF NOT LESS THAN TEN THOUSAND PESOS (P10,000.00);
GIVING ACADEMIC CREDITS TO STUDENTS EMPLOYED IN ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THEIR COURSES; AND
ENCOURAGING EMPLOYERS ENGAGED IN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SCALE ENTERPRISES (SMES) TO ADOPT THE PROGRAM AND EMPLOY WORKING STUDENTS.

WITH THE IMPROVEMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS (SPES) BEING IMPLEMENTED BY OUR GOVERNMENT, YOUR HONOR, IT IS HOPED THAT THIS MEASURE WILL ALLOW MORE FILIPINO WORKING STUDENTS TO FINISH THEIR EDUCATION AND PURSUE A MORE PROMISING CAREER PATH FOR THEIR FUTURE.

YOUR HONOR, DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES OF THIS AUGUST CHAMBER, IN THIS ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES WHEREIN MANY OF OUR POOR FILIPINO STUDENTS ARE BOUND TO BE DOOMED FOR NOT FINISHING THEIR COLLEGE EDUCATION, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THIS VENERABLE HALLS OF SENATE VENTURE INTO INNOVATIVE WAYS AND MEANS TO PROVIDE THE ENABLING AVENUE FOR OUR POOR BUT DESERVING WORKING STUDENTS TO FINISH THEIR SCHOOLING AND LOOK TO THE DAWN OF HOPE FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

MR. PRESIDENT, AS YOUR CHAIRMAN FOR THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR, EMPLOYMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, THIS MEASURE IS MY HUMBLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE MILLIONS OF POOR BUT DESERVING YOUNG WORKING STUDENTS OF THIS BELOVED NATION FOR THEM TO FINISH THEIR EDUCATION AND PAVE A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF THIS COUNTRY.

MARAMING SALAMAT PO, GINOONG PANGULO!