CBILLS COURSE ENHANCES LEGISLATIVE SCHOLARS’
CAPACITY FOR POLICY
2025 CBILLS Middle Managers from the Philippine Congress with former DepDev Undersecretary Krystal Lyn Uy (middle)
and DAP Vice President Imelda Caluen (rightmost) at the Wynwood Hotel Manila, Pasig City
Pasig City, Philippines — The Development Academy of the Philippines, through its Capability Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff (CBILLS) Program, conducted the Legislative Training Course on Effective Policy Implementation to strengthen the oversight capacity of scholars from the Senate and House of Representatives. The training focused on deepening understanding of how policies are translated into action and equipping them with practical tools to identify and address implementation gaps.
Deputy Secretary General Romulo Miral, Jr., of the House of Representatives-Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department opened the course with an overview of policy implementation in the Philippines, emphasizing the theoretical foundation of oversight and the legislature’s vital role in ensuring effective policy. He was joined by Executive Director Sandino Soliman of Caucus of Development NGOs, who highlighted the importance of engaging civil society stakeholders and policy champions to support successful policy implementation. Dr. Ebinezer Florano of the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance guided scholars through a session on identifying and analyzing implementation gaps.
(L) Middle Managers’ Courtesy Visit to Mayor Vico Sotto; (R) Councilor Corazon Raymundo responds to scholar queries about the PAGASA scholarship of LGU Pasig.
A key highlight of the program was the Sensing Session hosted by the City Government of Pasig. Atty. Nicolo Gutierrez, Department Head II of the Office of the Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod, shared how national policies are localized into ordinances and community programs, while Councilor Corazon Raymundo discussed the PAG-ASA Scholarship Program, a public-private partnership that combines education access with civic responsibility for underprivileged youth through requiring scholars to contribute back to the community after graduation. The session provided valuable insights on how strong local leadership and collaborative governance can translate policy into real impact at the grassroots level.
Additional sessions covered the translation of policy into actionable implementation plans through Implementing Rules and Regulations led by Atty. Krystal Lyn Uy, former Undersecretary of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), and a discussion on the implementation gaps of the Universal Health Care Act facilitated by OIC Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo of the Department of Health.
The course culminated in the presentation of the Policy Implementation Gap Analyses, with Senate of the Philippines’ Putli Suharni Samanodi-Candao and Dr. Jalton Taguibao of the University of the Philippines-Diliman serving as panelists. Through this course which was held from June 16-20 at the Wynwood Hotel Manila in Pasig City, legislative officers and staff enhanced their capacity to bridge the gap between policy intent and outcomes, positioning them to support more responsive and accountable governance. – Dannieliza Sambrano