As an active advocate for the digital transformation of government operations, including the public procurement process, the Procurement Service - Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) is in full support of initiatives geared toward fulfilling this agenda.
On August 12, 2024, PS-DBM, represented by Operations Group Director Philip Josef T. Vera Cruz, attended the official launching of new digital procurement platforms by the Government Procurement Policy Board - Technical Support Office (GPPB-TSO), namely, the Procurement Observers’ Portal (POP), the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) Microsite, and the Billy Bayong ChatBot.
In her welcome remarks, GPPB-TSO Executive Director (ED) Rowena Candice M. Ruiz provided an overview of each platform. The POP, created in collaboration with the World Bank, enables registered observers to participate in government procurement by gaining access to procurement information, joining monitoring activities, and being included in a directory of observers for government projects. The NGPA Microsite, meanwhile, serves as an online information resource on the newly-signed procurement law, developed by GPPB-TSO’s Information Management Division. Finally, Billy Bayong was introduced, GPPB-TSO’s website chatbot that offers 24/7 access to information on procurement-related concerns.
For DBM Secretary and GPPB Chairperson Amenah F. Pangandaman, these online platforms are not merely technological tools, but are “embodiments of collective dedication to foster a transparent, accountable, and efficient public procurement system.” She added, in her keynote address, that these “game-changing initiatives” are a testament to DBM’s steadfast commitment to good governance.
The event, which was held at the GPPB-TSO Office in Diliman, Quezon City, gathered the attendance of other DBM officials, representatives from other government agencies, development partners, and civil society organizations.
PS-DBM, with the able leadership of ED Genmaries S. Entredicho-Caong, is likewise relentless in its own efforts to streamline the public procurement system through digitalization. Anchored on its 12-point Reform Agenda, the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) of PS-DBM is continuously being modernized to add new features and functionalities, one of which is the Electronic Marketplace, or eMarketplace, that shall serve as the government’s official e-commerce platform for the procurement of Common-use Supplies and Equipment. | August 14, 2024/KR