Class photo with Resource Person Czarina Teresa B. Teves (far left) 

Tagaytay City, Philippines — The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through its Center for Governance, trained scholars of the Capability Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff (CBILLS) Program-Senior Leaders Track with the course “Systems Thinking: Building a Resilient Philippine Congress” at the DAP Conference Center.

Sixteen (16) senior congressional staff participated in the five-day residential program, where they explored the tools and methods for analyzing systemic challenges and designing effective interventions for public sector and legislative issues. 

Senior Leaders collaborate on their group  outputs during the workshop to develop their respective System Interventions Plan. 

Organization Development Practitioner Czarina Teresa Teves guided the scholars through the fundamentals of systems thinking, including the Iceberg Model and Cynefin Framework, helping them better understand events, patterns, trends, structures, and mental models that shape challenges in the Philippine Congress. 

The course also featured a sensing session where the scholars reflected on organizational challenges and stakeholder relationships, followed by the development of a Narrative Systems Intervention Plan as their capstone output.

The course is part of the 2025 CBILLS Program, which aims to equip senior legislative officials with strategic thinking and collaborative competencies needed to foster a more resilient and effective Philippine Congress.