MACONACON, ISABELA – Aeta settler in the island towns of Divilacan and Maconacon is one of the depressed and neglected tribal groups according to the local chief executives. About 600 aetas are struggling due to lack of education, skills and livelihood.

Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) region 2 has urged local chief executives of Maconacon and Divilacan to give due preference to aeta students to become beneficiaries of the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) program.

Mayor Erlinda Domingo of Maconacon has pledged about 120 slots for SPES this year while Mayor Ventorito Bulan of Divilacan has pledged 10 slots as first timer municipality to adopt the program.

However, Mayor Bulan told the director that the 10 slots will all be given to aeta students in the municipality. LGU Maconacon has allocated 288,000 pesos for payment to the 60 percent share of the LGU to the salaries and wages of the beneficiaries while Divilacan has earmarked 24,000 pesos.

Meanwhile Director Rodriguez urged local chief executives to increase its SPES target in the next round of implementation in order to expand their coverageto benefit more disadvantaged students.

He said the regional office already committed increased target beneficiaries and budget allotment for the SPES from January to December 2012. This year, the region has an allocation of P16.9 million pesos for the salaries or wages of 10,000 students throughout the region.

The program encourages the employment of poor but deserving students during the summer and/or Christmas vacations, through incentives granted to employers, allowing them to pay only 60 per cent of their salaries or wages. The other 40 per cent is paid through education vouchers issued by the DOLE.

The SPES aims to assist poor but deserving students or out-of-school youth find employment during summer and/or Christmas vacations for secondary level and throughout the year for tertiary and technical vocational levels and during the period beneficiaries were taught the value of work through their engagement in various works such as clerical/administrative aides/assistants/office helpers, field workers, data encoders, sales associates, enumerators, street sweepers and service crews , and in the greening program of the national government. FCA/