The Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) emphasizes enhancing its merchants’ readiness through hands-on assistance and orientations on the second day of the Philippine Open Government Partnership’s (OGP) Open Government Week 2026 on May 19, 2026, at the PS-DBM Main Office in Paco, Manila.
A total of 151 merchants attended the hybrid session, which featured orientations on the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) registration processes, Beneficial Ownership (BO) disclosure requirements, and Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Hierarchical and Applicable Relations and Beneficial Ownership Registry (HARBOR)—highlighting compliance and disclosure requirements for merchants.
Information and Communications Technology and Procurement Group Deputy Executive Director Rommel Rivera, in his opening remarks, emphasized PS-DBM’s strong efforts on open government’s principles on transparency and efficiency: “Our endeavor today is a simple yet powerful vision: transparency is most transformative when it opens equal opportunity, and we stand at the forefront of digital transformation in government procurement by being the manager of the modernized PhilGEPS.”
Customer Service (CS) Deputy Chief Brian Gerona led the presentation on the PhilGEPS registration for merchants, emphasizing the need to maintain updated company information for seamless transactions and continued eligibility.
SEC Anti-Money Laundering Division (AMLD) Head and Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (EIPD) Assistant Director Daniel Luis Macalino served as resource speaker during the BO and HARBOR discussions, providing insights on how HARBOR supports good governance and anti-corruption initiatives through digitalized and secure BO with international standards.
An open forum was conducted to encourage discussion and address the participants’ inquiries regarding the PhilGEPS merchant registration, BO information, and the HARBOR system. SEC EIPD Asst. Dir. and AMLD Head Daniel Luis Macalino, SEC AMLD’s Atty. Donna Pare, SEC Information and Communications Technology Division’s Lead Domsun Briones, and PS-DBM CS Deputy Chief Brian Gerona formed part of the panel.
In the afternoon, the merchants underwent training and a walkthrough on the PhilGEPS e-Bidding Module, enabling them to gain familiarity with the digital and competitive bidding process and optimize their digital procurement capabilities.
Executive Director (ED) Genmaries “Gen” Entredicho-Caong reiterated the importance of collaboration between civil society organizations (CSOs) and government agencies in promoting procurement accountability and transparency. ED Gen reaffirmed PS-DBM’s commitment to the modernization of the PhilGEPS, particularly the rollout of enhanced e-bidding facilities. She shared that PS-DBM received major recognitions during the Open Government Partnership Global Summit, including awards in the anti-corruption thematic category and regional winner for the Asia-Pacific region best challenge entry. She then encouraged the merchants and stakeholders to continue supporting the agency’s reform agenda, stressing that their support remains essential for an accountable, competitive, and transparent procurement system.
PS-DBM, sustaining its public assistance service, continued with the PhilGEPS One-Stop Hub, which provided support services on account updates, registration and membership concerns, compliance requirements, and other PhilGEPS services. Partner government agencies such as the Philippine Statistics Authority, Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Consular Affairs, National Bureau of Investigation, and Land Bank of the Philippines, through service booths, continued to deliver assistance and government-related service requests.
The day’s initiative underscored PS-DBM’s support for open government principles by promoting accessible, efficient, transparent, and technology-driven procurement engagement among its merchants. May 20, 2026 | CM