BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) of Mountain Province thru its Public Employment Service Office (PESO) conducted an orientation for the Special Program for the Employment of Student (SPES) beneficiaries at the Multi-Purpose Building Hall, Provincial Plaza on May 6, 2022.
According to Supervising Administrative Officer (SAO) Ernesto B. Emilio, the beneficiaries of the SPES program are students and out of school youths who are willing to continue their education and who are able to accomplish the qualifications and requirements of the program. He said that they must be 15-30 years old with a copy of their birth certificates as proof, a copy of their latest grades and that they belong to a family whose annual income does not exceed the poverty threshold of CAR with a family of six.
DOLE-CAR Assistant Regional Director, Atty. Anthony Wooden, Jr. gave a message on career development to the beneficiaries highlighting the importance of focusing on education and work experience. Wooden also advised the students that as young as they are, they should take advantage of available trainings being offered by the different agencies and that they should never stop adding to their knowledge and skillset.
Meanwhile, Psychologist and Psychometrician Eleonor B. Batnag gave an iec to the SPES beneficiaries regarding mental health awareness, helping them to identify the various sources of stress and options to manage and relieve it. Batnag also underscored the importance of ending the stigma when discussing mental health, that it is ok to talk about it and that there are now options available for the youth who need help and assistance.
Moreover, Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. in his message, encouraged the youth who were present to focus on their education. He also informed them of the various programs which the PLGU offers to assist the youths like the Student Financial Assistance Program.
“The PLGU has and will always be pro youth since we, your officials believe that the next generation is the hope of the future and among you will soon be the next leaders of our province,” Lacwasan said.
With this, the governor reminded that it is everyone’s responsibility to make sure that the children in the province will always have the best options to be fully equipped in life. //bbkmacliing