Geared towards building stronger supplier relationships for innovative and sustainable public procurement, the Procurement Service – Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) took part in the 2022 Procurement Summit organized by the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) through its Technical Support Office on October 27-28, 2022 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
The PS-DBM, along with various suppliers and service providers, put up a booth for the event’s Market Opportunities Exhibit which showcased innovative and sustainable products and services in the areas of technologies infrastructure, information technology, health, agriculture, and education.
Manned by Procurement Management Officers, the PS-DBM kiosk welcomed the registration of prospective suppliers and/or bidders in the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), as they were made aware of PS-DBM’s bidding opportunities and other procurement undertakings. PS-DBM Executive Director (ED) Atty. Dennis S. Santiago himself visited the booth and took the chance to engage with potential stakeholders.
Apart from being an exhibitor, PS-DBM was also a breakout session facilitator that walked the participants through the modernized PhilGEPS (mPhilGEPS). Facilitated by PhilGEPS Director Rosa Maria M. Clemente, the talk focused on the agency’s initiatives for digital transformation which include the eventual full implementation of online procurement facilities including e-Bidding, e-Shopping, and e-Reverse Auction. From the open forum that followed, it was evident that suppliers look forward to using the full features of the platform.
The two-day event also offered insights on other technical topics such as Circular Procurement; Blockchain Technology in Supply Sourcing and Delivery; Green Public Procurement Roadmap; Trends in Digital Technology; Supply Chain Technology; Simplified Bidding; and Framework Agreement, among others.
DBM Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, who formally opened the program, said that the Summit highlights the partnership and trust between and among procurement stakeholders from the government and private sector.
“We hope to encourage new business models that offer innovative and resource- efficient solutions that promote the purchase of green markets and services,” she added.
The same message was captured in the keynote speech of GPPB-TSO Executive Director Atty. Rowena Candice M. Ruiz, emphasizing on the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of innovating government procurement.
“May we, in the public procurement stream, lead the way in not only launching or integrating disruptive technologies and sustainable consumption and production patterns in government contracting, but go further and institutionalize this in our system. So that in the end, we will truly achieve a more responsive, agile, and sustainable public procurement in the Philippines,” she said.
ED Santiago, in an audio-visual presentation (AVP) made for and by PS-DBM, invites suppliers to partner with the agency and serve the Filipino people.
“PS-DBM is presently instituting transformational policies to reform the agency, particularly in streamlining procurement processes and procedures through digitalization. As we pursue this endeavor, we are one with industry partners and potential suppliers in building stronger relationships,” he says.
The Procurement Summit is an annual event of the GPPB.