Student Internship Program: Paving the way for the future, today.

In order to keep its status as the Design Destination for top-class international export furniture, Cebu X is paving the way for new, young and bold designers to take their giant step into the industry.

The Student Design Internship Program (SDIP) makes sure the brightest and most promising designers from the country's top design schools get a glimpse of the colorful and very challenging export furniture industry through an extensive working experience with the leaders of design and manufacturing.

The industry believes there is no better way of preparing the future trend-setters in the international furniture industry than have them mentored by the current trailblazers in design and manufacturing, supervised by the Design and Product Development Committee Chair Kenneth Cobonpue.

The students join the dynamic creative teams of the manufacturers to learn the newest design trends, techniques and production methods. They get to see how the industry works, from start to finish, and how the wonderful creations come into reality from drawing to production.The students even get their hand at creating their own design prototypes which go on display at the annual Cebu X and awarded through the annual Mugna (creation) Awards.

Students from the University of the Philippines in the Visayas, Cebu College, UP- Diliman, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde- School of Design and Arts and University of San Carlos- College of Architecture and Fine Arts are joining the program this year, their number continually increasing and more and more institutions hoping to join in the future.

Many of the student interns have now found their way into the creative teams of top manufacturers -- a testament on how deep the roster of talents are in the industry and how the industry is ready to meet the challenges of the future.

Designs developed by the students through this program will be showcased in a special setting during the Cebu X on March 5 - 8, 2009 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino.