Starting this April, around 1,440 youth, 18 to 25 years old, will have opportunities to work in the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Central and Field Offices under the Government Internship Program (GIP).

The GIP is one of the components of the Kabataan 2000 program of the government which was developed to provide an opportunity for both out-of-school and in-school youth a hands-on experience of working in various government agencies.

For the 2017 nationwide implementation, the DSWD-GIP has a fund allocation of P10,724,400 for the stipend of the interns’ 30 working days of service.

DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo expressed support for the program, saying “This is an opportunity for our youth to learn life skills in the workplace. They will be given an effective and eye-opening introduction to how it is to work in public service, and they can consider working in government as their contribution to nation building.  Through the GIP, government is able to provide students with financial assistance which they can later use for school expenses.  This way, we also impress upon them the importance of earning and spending their money wisely.”

The program is open to high school graduates; Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) certificate holders or Alternative Learning System certificate holders or recipients of any similar certificate issued by the Department of Education or Commission on Higher Education; members of the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines (PYAP); youth beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program; and youth included in the Listahanan list of identified poor families will also be prioritized.

The DSWD also considers the family income of the participating youth, which must not be more than the existing poverty threshold.

Under the GIP, DSWD will provide the qualified youth with a daily stipend amounting to 75% of the regional wage rate.  The GIP is implemented in the DSWD Central and all its ​​​Field Offices.

The GIP participants will be assigned to various work stations according to their assessed skills.  The work includes regular office work such as encoding, report writing and/or assisting in the implementation of key programs of DSWD such as the Supplementary Feeding Program, Social Pension Program, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and the like.

To date, the Department is currently reviewing applications and expects that the actual work period will start on April 17.  ###