The Philippine Government posted P10.7 Billion worth of procurement savings in 2018, in light of recent procurement reforms, including the upgrade of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) portal.

Preliminary 2018 data from the Procurement Service (PS), show a total of 446 contracts awarded worth P175.8 Billion. Meanwhile, in 2016 and 2017, savings earned in comparison with the approved budget for the contract (ABC) and costs of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) totaled P3.74 Billion and P3.2 Billion, respectively.

Meanwhile, the top five contracts awarded in 2018 are the following:

1. North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project (Malolos-Tutuban): Elevated Structures (23.6km, Civil and Structural Works for Viaduct, Embankment, Railway Bridges and 7 Elevated Stations and Depots including architecture, building services, elevators and escalators) - P 51.30 B
2. NSCR Project (Malolos-Tutuban): Elevated Structures (Elevate Structures and 3 Stations: 14km, civil and structural works for Viaduct, Embankment and Railway Bridges and Elevated Stations including architecture, bldg services, elevators and escalators)  -P27.97 B
3. MRT3 Rehabilitation Project: Rehabilitation and Maintenance Service Provider - P17.02B(with savings worth P4.95 B)
4. Project management consultancy for the PNR South Long Haul Project (North South Railway Project) - P14.28 B (with savings worth P13.08 M)
5. Capacity Enhancement of Mass Transit System in LRT Line 1: Cavite Extension Project-  P12.81 B

The improved procurement performance is a direct result of reforms, which seek to ensure a faster, efficient, and more responsive mechanisms for the acquisition of goods and services, introduced by the administration in the past two years.

In 2016, the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, was revised to streamline procurement processes that derail program implementation.

Likewise, the procurement system has since been enhanced through the launch of an upgraded government electronic procurement portal, PhilGEPS Version 1.5, which incorporates a more advanced operating system.

Under the new system, online bid submission and payment are now accepted through PhilGEPS. The upgraded portal also includes an e-catalogue feature that facilitates requests for purchase orders, quotations, and other transactions.

“In the past decades, one of the bottlenecks of public service delivery has been delays in procurement. Since we assumed office in 2016, we have been keen on introducing more efficient systems in this area. So far, I am pleased to say that our reforms have been yielding our intended results,” DBM Secretary Diokno said.

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