MANILA—Students have a choice whether to spend their vacation frolicking under the sun, sand and seas or spend it productively by doing a summer job.

This summer, more than 10,000 poor but deserving students in Metro Manila will have the opportunity to work in private sector companies and government agencies which have pledged to employ the students under the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the SPES, which is already a year-round activity is a “bridge” towards formal employment, adding that more than 85,000 poor students are expected to benefit from SPES this year.

“It teaches students the value of skills towards productive work,” she said, as she encouraged more private sector companies, as well as government agencies, to sponsor students under SPES program and share in the effort to provide “well-deserving, but unfortunately poor in-school youth who hail from low income families the chance to make education, as well as skills training, their own “great equalizer” in life.”

The Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Science & Technology and the Department of Labor and Employment will sponsor students to work as tax mappers, office workers, barangay survey personnel, encoders, and school assistants.

On the other hand, Jollibee Foods Corporation, Sevanti Foods,Inc., Shell South Luzon Tollway, Northpark Noodles, The Body Shop, and M&H Food Corporation will hire students as food service crew, customer touch points, office works, gasoline attendants, cashiers, sales ladies, promotion merchandizers, and other positions.

According to BLE Director Maria Criselda R. Sy, 84,786 poor but deserving students nationwide benefitted from the SPES in 2010 most of whom were provided with “bridging employment assistance” during their summer breaks.

A student may apply for employment under the SPES provided he or she is 18 years old of age but not more than 25 years old.

Also, the combined net income after tax of his parents, including his or her income if any, does not exceed the latest annual poverty threshold level for a family of six (6) as determined and provided by the National Economic and Development Authority.

An average passing grade during the last school term attended is also a must.