Lessons from Japan: Reflections on Lawmaking
under Parliamentary and Presidential Systems
Sheena Carmina V. Mateo
22 May 2026
The International Learning Course (ILC) under the Capability Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff (CBILLS) Program of the Development Academy of the Philippines has served as an important learning platform for legislative officers and staff, providing insights into global best practices in public policy development, public sector innovation, and good governance models. This discussion paper, the first under the CBILLS Discussion Paper Series, aims to document and share key lessons from the ILC. Rather than offering definitive prescriptions, it reflects on lessons from the mission countries and their relevance to the Philippines. The series seeks to synthesize comparative insights and raise questions to encourage dialogue among legislative staff, policymakers, and practitioners.
In 2018, Japan was chosen as the pilot mission country for the ILC component of the CBILLS program. It was selected because it has a bicameral legislative system and has long been recognized for its political stability and good governance, making it a fitting model for study in Asian region.
Since then, Japan has remained one of the CBILLS Program’s mission countries, including three online runs during the pandemic years. However, given the differences in the program design and topic coverage between in-person and online ILC sessions, this paper focuses on drawing insights from eight mission reports from the three in-person ILC sessions in Japan in 2018, 2019, and 2023.
Drawing from the lectures shared by the resource persons and the reflections of participants shared in their mission reports, supplemented by academic literature, several recurring themes emerged that form the basis of this paper’s outline and provide the foundation for the comparative reflections in this paper.
As one of the key learning topics of the ILC, this paper reflects on the lawmaking process of Japan, compares it to that of the Philippines, and explores what the Philippines might adapt, adopt, or rethink. The analysis suggests that, despite the structural and systemic differences between the two countries, several elements of Japan’s legislative system offer valuable lessons that can inform and improve legislative practices in the Philippines.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the House of Representatives, the Senate of the Philippines, or the Development Academy of the Philippines.