MANILA -- Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Mina F. Pangandaman underscored the transformational initiatives of the Procurement Service – DBM (PS-DBM) as a testament to its commitment toward improving its services as she graced the PS-DBM Appreciation Event for Client-Agencies on 29 February 2024.
 
The appreciation event is the PS-DBM’s first engagement catered to commemorate the decades-long commitment of its client agencies to accountable, transparent, and efficient procurement.

“This event’s theme, ‘ONE in Procurement and Service 2024: Transformative Public Service in the Digital Age,’ speaks volumes about PS-DBM’s commitment to achieving the government’s Agenda for Prosperity, leveraging digitalization towards bureaucratic efficiency and improved public service delivery,” Secretary Pangandaman expressed.

Secretary Pangandaman noted that the Government Procurement Reform Act is nearing its passage. She thanked the PS-DBM, headed by its Executive Director Atty. Dennis Santiago, for advocating the said vital legislation that will propel the country’s procurement systems to the future.

The Budget Secretary highlighted the digital transformation initiatives that the agency is carrying out, including the modernization of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System or PhilGEPS. The modernized PhilGEPS will feature an eMarketplace that will enable client agencies to purchase Common-use Supplies and Equipment (CSE) conveniently.
 
“All of these wins are anchored on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of a Bagong Pilipinas where the government is truly responsive to the needs of the people; accountable to its constituents; and fulfills its promise of prosperity to everyone,” Secretary Pangandaman explained.
 
For his part, PS-DBM Executive Director Santiago presented the agency’s 12-Point Agenda, which aim to focus on the procurement of CSEs; study, review, and rationalize CSEs to include products and other commonly procured goods; study, review, and recast specifications and pricing; upscale the logistics and supply chain management; and beef up stock-priming of depots and hubs through continuous supply and delivery of CSEs.
 
The Agenda also seek to implement organizational restructuring of PS-DBM including its human resource development and capacity building; advance the market-strengthening strategy and alliance-building; push for the institutionalization of Framework Agreement and Indefinite Delivery and Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contractual arrangements that shall considerably reduce the transactional timeline and simplify the procurement of CSEs; build up PS-DBM’s financial self-sufficiency; and take advantage of the benefits of economies of scale through bulk purchasing.
 
“We do what we can to ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability in the performance of our duties. Ang tiwalang ipinagkaloob po ninyo ang nagsisilbing inspirasyon upang mas pag-ibayuhin at paigtingin ang pagtupad sa aming sinumpaang tungkulin,” Executive Director Santiago said.

During the event, PS-DBM also conferred various awards to its stakeholders as an act of appreciation for their strengthened partnerships which have provided the agency the opportunity to fully execute their mandate.

The awardees were officials and key representatives from DBM; Government Procurement Policy - Technical Support Office; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas; Department of Health (DOH); DOH - Region 10; Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Department of Education; National Youth Commission; Quezon City government, University of the Philippines (UP) - Manila; UP - Diliman; UP - Los Baños; Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Municipality of Naic, Cavite; Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority; 114th Contracting Office for Infrastructure, Armed Forces of the Philippines Procurement Service; City of Himamaylan, Negros Occidental; Home Development Mutual Fund; Polytechnic University of the Philippines; Clark Development Corporation; Department of Information and Communications Technology - Region VII; Games and Amusement Board; Department of Foreign Affairs; Philippine National Police; and Supreme Court of the Philippines. (DBM)