US envoy meets Muslim interns

MANILA, Philippines - US State Department Special Representative to Muslim Communities Farah Pandith met promising young Mindanaoans at the American Chamber of Commerce office this month in Manila. They are participants of the Productive Internships in Dynamic Enterprises (PRIDE) project and the Congressional Internship Program for Young Muslim Leaders (CIPYML).

The US Government, through the PRIDE project, helps young Mindanaoans gain an edge in the corporate world by working with major corporations based in Manila that are willing to provide training and internships to recent graduates from ARMM and conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.

The CIPYML is being implemented in partnership with the House of Representatives, Mindanao State University, and the University of the Philippines. CIPYML includes courses on various aspects of governance and intensive internships in the HOR, and is designed to enhance participants’ commitment to democratic values and institutions.

Farah Pandith (center, 6th from left) is shown with young Mindanaoans participating in the PRIDE project and the CIPYML. Both projects are implemented by USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, which works with private and public sector partners under the oversight of the Mindanao Economic Development Council. Among those who attended the meeting with Ms. Pandith are (from left) US Embassy Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer Najlaa Abdus-Samad; PRIDE interns Gringo Patacpan, KrisAnne Sariol, Ana Khamila Bolos, and Suhaina Khalid; USAID Economic Growth Advisor Robert Barnes; CIPYML intern Jamairah Macabanding; PRIDE intern Raihanie Abbas; CIPYML interns Bailanie Mamalo and Joharanisa Disomangcop; GEM Program Manager for Workforce Preparation and Governance Atty. Emma Salmani; and CIPYML interns Sahraman Disomimba and Mohammad Khalid Gunting.