The Procurement Service – Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), spearheaded by its Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) Office, trained various government agencies on utilizing the modernized PhilGEPS in procurement activities, especially in light of the implementation of the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), held August 6 to 7, 2025 at the PS-DBM Main Office in Paco, Manila.
The two-day training, conducted in a hybrid setup, was aimed at strengthening PS-DBM’s mandate under NGPA, that is, to serve as the central procuring arm for common-use supplies and equipment (CSE) of the whole of government, including local government units (LGUs) nationwide.
Attended by the bids and awards committee (BAC) members and other representatives from several government agencies—including Games and Amusement Board, Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Department of Migrant Workers, Philippine COast Guard, National Housing Authority, Philippine Heart Center, Supreme Court, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, among others—the training familiarized procuring entities with the latest functionalities of the modernized PhilGEPS such as the eBidding facility, Virtual Store (VS), and the eMarketplace.
In providing an overview, PhilGEPS Office Director Dr. Maria Teresita M. Semana underscored how the NGPA puts digital transformation at the core of its provisions, with features already being used by procuring entities. Knowing how to navigate these online procurement platforms, she emphasized, would ensure smooth transition to the digitalization of public procurement.
Organized by the ICT and Procurement Group’s IT Research and Planning Division, in coordination with eGovernment Development Division, Customer Service Division, and Marketing and Sales Division, the lectures comprehensively tackled salient features of the NGPA and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), modernized PhilGEPS modules, submission of Annual Procurement Plan for CSE; and procurement through the VS and the eMarketplace. These were aided with live simulation, walk-throughs, question and answer sessions, and other hands-on activities.
In her closing remarks, PS-DBM Executive Director (ED) Genmaries “Gen” Entredicho-Caong highlighted the latest developments in the agency’s policies and operations initiated by the enactment of NGPA.
“Under the new procurement law, mandatory po ang paggamit ng PhilGEPS as a channel for the conduct of procurement activities, at mandatory din na ang bibilhin ninyong CSE ay sa PS-DBM lang… We encourage you to be familiar with the provisions of NGPA and its IRR by maximizing the features of the modernized PhilGEPS,” said ED Gen.
With more training sessions in the pipeline, PS-DBM holds these capacity-building engagements to enable key stakeholders to adopt the full utilization of the PhilGEPS platform geared towards the modernization of the Philippine public procurement landscape. | August 11/LR