Manila, March 27 -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 5 (Bicol) has allocated PHP14.2 million to provide financial support to qualified beneficiaries of the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) for 2025.

In an interview on Thursday, Labor information officer Johana Gasga said the program targets 3,019 beneficiaries across the region this year, with 40 percent of their salary to be covered by the DOLE and the remaining 60 percent to be shouldered by their employers as part of a counterpart agreement.

"The objective is to help underprivileged but deserving students, including out-of-school youth, pursue and continue their education," she said in Filipino.

The program was created under Republic Act (RA) 7323 serie...