SPES: Student Employment, 60% Employer 40% Voucher
Department of Labor and Employment · employment
Quick answer
SPES lets any employer with at least 10 workers hire students aged 15 to 25 at no less than minimum wage, for 20 to 52 working days. The employer pays 60% in cash and the government pays 40% as a voucher for tuition and books.
Every figure on this page is from LawPhil Project's own published documents.
Last verified 1 source, listed below
Republic Act No. 9547, Special Program for Employment of Students1. PHGuides is independent and not affiliated with DOLE.
SPES, the Special Program for Employment of Students, is DOLE’s arrangement for putting students into paid work during their studies while the government covers part of the wage as tuition. It runs under Republic Act No. 9547, approved 1 April 2009, which strengthened and expanded RA 7323.
The design is unusual and worth understanding before applying: the student is paid at least minimum wage, but only 60% of it arrives as cash.
Who qualifies
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Student age | 15 years old but not more than 25 years old |
| Description in the Act | Poor but deserving students |
| Employer size | Any person or entity employing at least 10 persons |
| Wage floor | Not lower than the minimum wage for private employers, or the applicable hiring rate for national and local government agencies |
The minimum wage guide carries the regional rate that floor is measured against.
When you can work
The Act splits students by level, and this is the constraint most people hit.
| Enrolled in | May be employed |
|---|---|
| Secondary level | Only during summer and/or Christmas vacations |
| Tertiary, vocational or technical education | At any time of the year |
How long
| Period | Duration |
|---|---|
| Standard SPES employment | 20 to 52 working days |
| During Christmas vacation | 10 to 15 days |
The Christmas stint carries a benefit that outlasts it: those days may be counted as part of the student’s probationary period if they apply to the same company or agency after graduation.
Students employed in activities related to their course may also earn equivalent academic credits, as determined by the appropriate government agencies.
The 60/40 split
This is the core mechanic of the programme.
| Share | Paid by | Form |
|---|---|---|
| 60% | The employer | Cash |
| 40% | The government | A voucher for tuition fees and books |
The voucher is usable at any educational institution for secondary, tertiary, vocational or technical education, and the government pays it to the institution within 30 days from receipt.
A local government unit may assume responsibility for paying the wage in full, which the Act permits expressly. Where an LGU does, the student receives the whole amount rather than 60% in cash.
The practical consequence of the split: a student at the minimum wage takes home 60% of it, with the other 40% reaching their school rather than their pocket. That is the trade the programme makes, and it is better understood before the first payday than after it.
Who runs it
The Act names six officials to issue the rules: the Secretaries of Labor and Employment, Education, Budget and Management, Social Welfare and Development and Finance, and the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education.
The Secretary of Labor and Employment is the Program Chairman.
Section 5 also requires the appropriation for the programme to be increased by at least 20% annually.
Penalties
| Act | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Refusing to honour education vouchers, or making a fraudulent or fictitious claim | Imprisonment of not less than 6 months and not more than 1 year, and a fine of not less than ₱10,000.00 |
The Act applies that penalty regardless of whether payment has been made, so an attempted fraudulent claim is punishable on the same terms as a completed one.
SPES employees must also be informed of their rights, benefits and privileges under existing laws, company policies and employment contracts.
What this page does not cover
RA 9547 sets the framework but not the operational detail. It does not publish the SPES application form, the documentary requirements, the income ceiling that defines a poor but deserving student, the annual application window, or the DOLE Regional Office procedure, and none of those is stated here. Those come from the implementing rules the six officials above issue, and from your DOLE Regional or Field Office.
Related
The minimum wage guide carries the rate SPES pays against, the TUPAD guide covers DOLE’s other emergency employment programme, and the kasambahay law guide covers the other statute setting a minimum age for work at 15.
Frequently asked questions
- Who can join SPES?
- Poor but deserving students aged 15 years old but not more than 25. Secondary-level students may only be employed during summer or Christmas vacations; those in tertiary, vocational or technical education may be employed at any time of the year.
- How is the student paid?
- 60% by the employer in cash, and 40% by the government as a voucher applicable to tuition fees and books at any secondary, tertiary, vocational or technical institution. The total must be no lower than the minimum wage for private employers.
- How long does SPES employment last?
- 20 to 52 working days, except during Christmas vacation when it is 10 to 15 days. Those Christmas days may count as part of the student's probationary period if they later apply to the same company after graduating.
- Which employers can take part?
- Any person or entity employing at least 10 persons. Government agencies pay the applicable hiring rate rather than the private-sector minimum wage.
- When does the school get the voucher money?
- The government pays the education vouchers to the educational institution within 30 days from receipt of the voucher.
- Can a local government pay the whole wage?
- Yes. The Act expressly allows LGUs to assume responsibility for paying the student's salary or wages in full, instead of the 60/40 split.
- Can SPES work count for school credit?
- Students employed in activities related to their course may earn equivalent academic credits, as determined by the appropriate government agencies.
- What if an employer refuses to honour a voucher?
- Refusing to honour education vouchers, or making a fraudulent or fictitious claim, carries imprisonment of 6 months to 1 year and a fine of not less than ₱10,000.00 on conviction, whether or not payment was actually made.