GMA
to sign in Bohol
Chatto law on student jobs 
CHATTO
SCHOLARS at the CVSCAFT- Tagbilaran Campus are
among the newest recipients
of study grants from from the First District congressman thru the Commission on
Higher Education - Special Study Grant Program (CHED-SSGP). Rep. Edgar Chatto
granted the same to qualifiers at the CVSCAFT Main Campus in Bilar and satellite
schools in Calape, Clarin and Balilihan. Chatto (sitting 4th from left) was joined
in the CVSCAFT-Tagbilaran awarding of scholarship grants by (l-r) student affairs
dean Dr. Ma. Elena Mandin, district congressional chief-of-staff ex-Board
Member
Billy Tongco, College Director Dr. Fernando Restificar, CVSCAFT System President
Elpidio Magante and scholarship coordinator Dr. Luz Ganas. | | Pres.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will sign into law the highly relevant bill - a legislative
legacy to the Filipino youth - principally authored by Rep. Edgar M. Chatto in
Congress broadening the coverage of the employment of students during her Bohol
visit on April 1.
This
is welcomed by the students since House Bill 5388 or the expanded Special Program
for the Employment of Students (SPES) will lead them to a wider avenue to earn
and save on vacation for the next school year.
Many
students belonging to poor families can even financially assist their parents
in these hard times as the expanded SPES has been crafted to be more responsive
to their needs. |
The
president will sign the Chatto law when she visits Bohol on Wednesday for the
national convention of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and launching of the Sama-Sama
Para sa Kalikasan or the Green Philippines, which ushers in the country's observance
of the Earth Day on April 22.Like
Chatto's another landmark measure, the Tourism Act of 2009, which is also up for
signing by the president hopefully before the Lenten season, the expanded SPES
Law is regarded as a legislative milestone.
SK
members have themselves hailed the SPES, which Chatto also calls a more comprehensive
Students Summer Job Law, considering that many of them are students who have long
been seeking means of supporting their own studies thru vacation jobs.
The
law amended the existing student employment program under Republic Act 7323, which
has been enforced for 10 years now, after areas for improvement were identified
so that more can qualify.
Chatto
said the expanded SPES reduces the required minimum personnel size of the establishments
where students are to work.
Based
on the existing program, a student applying for SPES can only work in an establishment
which has a minimum personnel size of 50 workers.
| | | The
new law allows student employment in the establishment having a minimum personnel
size of 11, thus, students can find more employers.
Initial
datas from the labor department show that the existing had SPES already benefited
some 400,000 students from poor families nationwide from 2001 to 2005 alone.
The
expanded SPES also provides that high school students can be employed only in
summer or Christmas vacation while those in the tertiary, vocational or technical
education may be employed anytime of the year. | It
prescribes the period of employment from 20 to 52 days only for each of the students
who earn academic credits if assigned to jobs that relate to their respective
courses or study fields.
The
broadened SPES Law defines penalties to schools which will refuse to honor education
vouchers.
The
measure changes the present combined annual family income requirement for parents
and their SPES applicant child from P36,000 to the annual regional poverty threshold
for a family of six for the preceding years as may be determined by the National
Economic Development Authority (NEDA).
The
other authors of the expanded SPES are Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro,
Eufrocino Codilla, Leyte, Mary Ann Susano, Quezon City, Emannuel Villanueva, party-list
CIBAC, Magtanggol Gunigundo, Valenzuela City, Arthur Pingoy, Jr., South Cotabato,
and Orlando Fua, Siquijor.
TOURISM
FOR
STUDENTS' GOOD
Meanwhile,
the Boholano chairman of the House committee on tourism succeeded to retain in
the approved Tourism Act of 2009 the 40% share from the travel tax for use by
the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) thru its Higher Education Fund (HEF).
The
fund can enhance the capacities of higher state schools such as the Central Visayas
State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology (CVSCAFT) in Bohol.
MORE
STUDY GRANTS
Chatto,
vice chairman of the House education committee, awarded more scholarship grants,
this time to qualified students of the Tagbilaran and Balilihan campuses of the
CVSCAFT, which main campus is in Bilar, after earlier granting the same to CVSCAFT-Calape
and CVSCAFT-Clarin scholars.
The
separate latest awardings of scholarship grants were witnessed by CVSCAFT System
President Elpidio Magante, scholarship coordinator Dr. Luz Ganas, College Director
Fernando Restificar and student affairs dean Dr. Ma. Elena Mandin of the Tagbilaran
campus, and College Director Ernesto Rulida of the Balilihan campus. (Ven rebo
Arigo)
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