06/10/2026
𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗦, 𝗚𝗜𝗣 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹: 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗰𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸
ILAGAN CITY, Isabela — At 16, Abraham Macoco already understood that finishing school would require more than determination. Raised by his mother, a laundrywoman supporting five children, he knew he also had to find a way to help ease the family’s financial burden.
𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗦, 𝗚𝗜𝗣 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹: 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗰𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸
ILAGAN CITY, Isabela — At 16, Abraham Macoco already understood that finishing school would require more than determination. Raised by his mother, a laundrywoman supporting five children, he knew he also had to find a way to help ease the family’s financial burden.
In 2017, that opportunity came through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES). Instead of spending his summer without work, Macoco chose to earn while learning. He was deployed for 20 days to the Local Government Unit of Tumauini, where he worked under the Engineering Department while pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.
Before SPES, office work was unfamiliar to him. Without his own laptop or desktop computer, he did not know how to encode documents, print files, or perform basic administrative tasks. Rather than allowing his inexperience to hold him back, he treated every assignment as an opportunity to learn.
“Because of SPES, I was able to see the struggles of the employees and appreciate the value of money that I worked for. The program cultivated me and helped me gain professional skills,” Macoco shared.
The experience also taught him financial discipline. His mother kept his SPES stipend as part of their strict household budgeting. Eventually, Macoco understood the lesson: earning came with the responsibility to save and use money wisely.
That same year, another milestone came when Macoco passed the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Licensure Examination and became a licensed engineer.
His journey with DOLE continued through the Government Internship Program (GIP). After becoming a licensed engineer and while waiting for stable employment, Macoco worked for six months at the Department of Agriculture. He saw the opportunity as a chance to gain experience, build professional relationships, strengthen his confidence, and help support his family.
For Macoco, GIP was more than temporary work. It allowed him to gain experience, interact with different people, build relationships, and develop confidence in an organization.
“DOLE helped me alleviate my social standing, gain self-confidence, and learn how to interact with other people,” he said.
The lessons from SPES and GIP eventually became part of the foundation of his professional journey.
Today, Macoco serves as Assistant Department Head of the Department of Tourism at the LGU of Tumauini. The young student who once struggled with basic office tasks now helps manage responsibilities and serve his community.
His progress has also reached his family. He supported his siblings in pursuing their education, acquired properties, built his own house, and established a farm.
For Macoco, SPES and GIP were not simply employment opportunities. They were stepping stones that taught him skills, responsibility, confidence, and perseverance.
His journey began with a young man who wanted to help his mother and finish his studies. Years later, those first opportunities have become part of the foundation of a career—and a life—built through hard work.
