Apart from the discussion of Procurement Service - Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) Executive Director Dennis S. Santiago moderated by the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) during the two-day regional peer-learning on Green/Sustainable Public Procurement (GPP/SPP) in Thailand, a breakout session was also conducted on April 22, 2024 to explore the measures that can be adopted to support the mandatory implementation of SPP/GPP in the Philippines.
In his talk, Mr. El Jon Bunao of PS-DBM Operations Group shed light on the status of GPP/SPP execution in the country, with emphasis on the goals and the means of achieving them. In explaining these, he touched on the historical timeline and development of policies relative to the Philippines’ GPP Roadmap. He also shared the present initiatives of PS-DBM to ensure that GPP/SPP is considered in the agency’s undertaking of procurement activities, which include the integration of green parameters and criteria in the technical specifications of Common-use Supplies and Equipment (CSE), as well as the professionalization of Procurement Management Officers to empower them as GPP champions.
The breakout session was also an opportune time to talk about the on-going efforts to amend the country’s existing procurement law by proposing the New Government Procurement Act as among the catalysts for the mandatory GPP/SPP implementation in the Philippines. This enforced the need for continuity in the institutionalization of reforms to guarantee that the national standards are aligned with GPP/SPP concepts.
Discourses on market readiness, development of financial tool kit, engagement with other relevant agencies, challenges and potential solutions, and enhancement of the use of GPP/SPP training modules were also tackled. Future collaborations and partnerships with representatives from other participating countries — namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand — were likewise highlighted.
Ultimately, the activity was intended to determine which GPP/SPP framework is most suitable for each country.
PS-DBM, an institution deemed as among the champions of GPP/SPP implementation in the Philippines, is steadfast in its commitment to institutionalize GPP/SPP locally in fulfillment of its 12-point agenda, specifically the procurement of goods and services that have reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle.