President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. highlighted in his third State of the Nation Address on July 22, 2024 the recently signed New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), which he believes would level up the country’s public procurement practices to international standards.
“With the newly enacted Republic Act No. 12009 that I signed just last Saturday (July 20), government procurement will be modern and innovative, more streamlined and efficient, and truly at par with global best practices,” the President stressed.
The NGPA is among the priority measures of the PBBM administration to improve the delivery of government services by streamlining and standardizing the procurement process. With provisions that shall further the modernization of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) under the Procurement Service – Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), NGPA is poised to bolster the government’s thrust towards digital transformation. With NGPA, PS-DBM’s Electronic Marketplace, or eMarketplace, will soon be realized to serve as the government’s main e-commerce platform.
Furthermore, NGPA enables government agencies to select among new and innovative procurement methods to allow for fit-for-purpose procurement. These include the modes as proposed by PS-DBM, including Direct Acquisition, Direct Sales, Competitive Dialogue, Unsolicited Offer with Bid Matching, and Direct Procurement for Science, Technology, and Innovation. The concepts of Most Advantageous and Responsive (MARB) and Most Economically Advantageous and Responsive Bid (MEARB) are also introduced as new award criteria.
Governed by the principles of transparency, competitiveness, efficiency, proportionality, accountability, participation, sustainability, and professionalism, the new law is expected to put an end to side deals, under-the-table agreements, uncompetitive behavior, and corruption in public procurement.
Anchored in open government initiatives, PBBM believes that the enactment of NGPA fosters a culture of accountability, among other measures, consequently curbing corruption in the government.
DBM Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman shares the same sentiment. In a statement, Sec. Pangandaman said that NGPA “is the biggest anti-corruption law in this modern time,” with emphasis on its crucial role in the implementation of DBM's budget reforms to ensure proper and appropriate use of government funds for the people.
PS-DBM, for its part, welcomes this development after making significant contributions. From conceptual formulations to the actual proposed amendments, the PS-DBM Team — led by Acting Executive Director Genmaries S. Entredicho-Caong — is now gearing up for its implementation. | July 23, 2024/GD