SPES ‘baby’ now a proud teacher

By Christopher Tugadi

BAGUIO CITY – “I am Elizabeth Sabado, a believer of dreams, a pursuer of education, a SPES baby, and a proud teacher.”

Uttering these, Sabado from Poblacion, Langiden, Abra is living testimony of how the Department of Labor and Employment’s Special Program for Employment of Students affects lives of its beneficiaries, positively transforming a lowly life to one that holds promise.

The SPES program was designed to help qualified students benefit from it by working during summer and semestral breaks for them to earn money to defray school and other fees.

DOLE pays 40 percent share directly to schools where the SPES beneficiaries are enrolled, while employers pay the 60% counterpart directly to the beneficiaries.

“I grew up seeing how difficult life could be. My father is a humble farmer while my mother is a plain housewife. I am the youngest child among six siblings. Considering the status of my family, to pursue my studies was just a dream,” Elizabeth said.

Through scholarship grants, her siblings finished their education. For her part, it was the SPES that kept her dream alive. 

She narrated there were times she was not able take her final examinations because they could not pay her tuition. 

Thus when she heard about the SPES which her school –the Divine Word College of Bangued (DWCB)- regularly partners with DOLE every summer and semestral breaks, she immediately  seized the opportunity.

“I benefitted from the rogram during the summer break and semestral break of 2011. Without SPES, I may not have finished my Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education, major in Social Science,” Elizabeth said.

“If before I had difficulty securing a permit for my final exams, with SPES, it was no sweat for me,” she added.

Her work experience as a SPES also challenged her to become an educator. “I developed the courage to follow my dream, no matter the financial difficulties. My exposure to the world of work and the hardships experienced in the life made me become a better person.”

Sabado passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers in November 2013 and taught at St. Paul High School, Poblacion, Villaviciosa, Abra for a year. She is back to her alma mater DWCB -- as a teacher.

To qualify for the SPES program, applicants must be at least 15 to 25 years old, enrolled during the school year/term immediately preceding the summer vacation or who has dropped out of school and who intends to continue his education; garnered an average passing grade during the school year/term last attended; and the combined net income after tax of the parents, including his or her income, if any, should not exceed P116,898 per annum.