There's a new wind blowing in the ARMM

MANILA, Philippines - In the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a quiet reform movement aimed at fostering more transparent governance is taking advantage of the technical skills and policy know-how of a new generation of leaders.

What they have in common, apart from their origins in ARMM and adjacent areas, and their relative youth – most are below 30 – is their previous exposure to the inner workings of Congress and hands-on experience in the process of policymaking.

ARMM in-charge Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman was the party list representative for Anak Mindanao when he first heard of the Congressional Internship Program for Young Mindanao Leaders (CIPMYL).

“I noticed how output-driven and idealistic these interns were,” recalls Hataman.

CIPYML is a partnership project of the Philippine House of Representatives and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), managed through USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program.

The four-month program, which has graduated 273 interns since its inception in 2003, begins with an introductory governance course at Mindanao State University (MSU)-Marawi, followed by training in policy analysis, development and advocacy provided at the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG).

To further hone their practical knowledge of policy, the interns are then assigned to different House committees and subcommittees, and to the offices of selected congressional representatives.

“Before, I had no clear idea of how government worked in Mindanao, or how to create sound policies from the bottom up,” said former intern Norkhalila Mambuay-Campong.

At a recent CIPYML completion ceremony, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. reminded the interns that they were “privileged in education and experience” and that they had a duty to “uphold democracy as a way of life.”

Following their internships, the CIPYML graduates return to Mindanao to resume their careers, pursue new career directions, or enroll in graduate programs. Mambuay-Campong, among others, joined a civil society movement that advocates for governance reforms.

“I made use of everything I learned during CIPYML,” she said. “Among other things, the internship also trained us on how to advocate effectively and hold legislators’ attention.”

When President Aquino appointed Governor Hataman late last year to reform ARMM governance and ensure clean elections in 2013, the alumni sensed a new wind was blowing through the region – and that the skills they had developed through CIPYML were uniquely suited to serve the new administration’s goals of openness and accountability. 

“We may not always agree with each other, but we have in common a mature understanding of how government works, and this developed out of CIPYML,” said Mambuay-Campong, who was appointed ARMM Regional Cabinet Secretary, the first woman to hold this key position.

“We are on the same wave length, and so things can get done quickly,” said Bangsamoro Youth Affairs director Hanie Bud.

“I wanted to play a part in the reforms being instituted,” said former intern Ahmad Guro, who is now an executive assistant helping to organize ARMM Cabinet meetings, among other duties.

Close to a dozen CIPYML alumni hold posts in the regional government. In addition to Bud and Mambuay-Campong, they include Sports and Coordinating Office director Altrekee Dayan, Madaris director Aliyah Cali, and executive assistant Gaddi Alawi, who as an intern was assigned to the Congressman Hataman’s office.

“I met them all through CIPYML, and I consider them assets,” said Hataman. “They always give their best in both familiar and new situations, they are articulate, and they learn fast.”

These alumni regularly call on other CIPYML graduates to volunteer and provide services – pro bono more often than not – to the regional government, particularly in holding consultations with different sectors.

“Hindi kami nagku-kwenta (We don’t spare efforts to get things done),” Guro noted. 

“What we learned in CIPYML is useful in formulating and managing policy reforms, working from national and region levels down to the barangay,” said Nor Ayn Makakena, a community development specialist working on donor programs.

A linchpin of the current ARMM administration is its commitment to the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a multilateral initiative that has attracted at least 55 partner-countries since its formal launch in September 2011.

Among the eight founding countries of OGP, the Philippines had the first regional government – in ARMM – that followed the national government in committing to fulfill the OGP aims of promoting transparency, empowering citizens, fighting corruption, and harnessing new technologies to strengthen governance.

CIPYML alumnus Abdelnur Campong, an information technology specialist, has been tasked with revamping the ARMM government fs website to make it more interactive and to ensure that vital documents, including budget allocations and laws enacted by the regional legislative assembly, are available to the public.

“It’s still a work in progress, but we have already received positive feedback on the information we have uploaded,” said Campong.

“People can call the attention of government to things that need to be attended to,” said Bud. “You can now see democracy working at the regional level.”

Another CIPYML alumnus Jehan Alangca, who has helped draft ARMM education policy and is now a legal officer at the Office of the Attorney-General, said that reforms were being put into place to prevent officials from abusing their positions and to encourage diversity.

She and other CIPYML alumni observed that more people were entering government based on their skills and experience, and not on “traditional affinities” – referring to the ethno-linguistic and clan ties that often dominate regional politics.

Mambuay-Campong says: “I’m a Maranao, the chief of staff – who is also a woman – is a Maranao-Tausug, and the executive secretary is from Maguindanao.”

“The thinking before was that men and elders, or the rich and powerful, should always take the lead. CIPYML alumni have helped break through those stereotypes, including the belief that the youth are not interested in government,” says Campong.

The CIPYML alumni are all too aware that the next ARMM regional elections will be held in May 2013, simultaneous with the midterm polls, which gives the transitional government less than a year to institute its reform programs.

“The time frame is a driving factor, so we are not wasting time,” says Mambuay-Campong.

“I have seen more changes in the ARMM regional government in the last six months than in the last 20 years, and every day I feel I am making a difference,” she adds. “And even if one is no longer working in government, one can still support reform.”