PS-DBM 45th Founding Anniversary
Philippine International Convention Center
My warmest greetings and congratulations to our dear colleagues and fellow public servants from the Procurement Service - Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM)!
Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
I am very honored and delighted to join you in the celebration of your 45th founding anniversary and to personally greet and congratulate you—our trusted agents in acquiring quality government requirements efficiently and economically.
As you know, I have always expressed my full support for the PS-DBM and its vision to be THE trusted and preferred procurement partner of the public sector in the Philippines.
Just a little over a year into my stint as DBM Secretary, and I am proud to have already witnessed how the PS-DBM, under the able leadership of Executive Director Atty. Dennis S. Santiago, has gone above and beyond in carrying out its mission.
More than procuring quality government requirements from reputable sources, PS-DBM has worked hard to reinstall integrity, fairness, and transparency in the procurement process.
A testament to this is the collaboration project between the PS-DBM and WeSolve Foundation, Inc. which was selected as one of the ten outstanding teams in the 2023 Impact Accelerator Program Lift of the Open Contracting Partnership. The Lift Impact Accelerator aims to support teams and reform procurement through better data, open and participatory processes, and technical and financial assistance. So congratulations—and I am certain that you will maximize this grant to further increase transparency and accountability in government purchases to ultimately improve value for taxpayers’ money.
And this is very timely, as we continue to push for the enactment of a stronger Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA)—one that is more attuned to the changing times and responsive to the evolving needs of our people.
During the International Monetary Fund Article IV Consultation held at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas last October 2023, the IMF recognized the pivotal initiatives we have undertaken in order to further enhance the legal and institutional framework for transparent and competitive public procurement.
The IMF specifically mentioned the implementation of the modernized Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (mPhilGEPS) and the adoption of the Green Public Procurement Strategy as structural reforms geared towards the long-term growth of the Philippine economy.
In line with our bureaucratic efficiency and digital transformation agenda, we will leverage the adoption of digitalization and innovation. Alongside the modernization of PhilGEPS, we will soon have an electronic or e-marketplace which we will expand to not just common-use supplies but also non-common-use supplies.
And because sustainability is one of our most important advocacies, we will adopt a Green Public Procurement Strategy to procure goods, infrastructure projects, and even consulting services with reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle. We will also integrate green practices and environmentally relevant criteria in the procurement design of a project.
Thankfully, our efforts at reforming the procurement system have the support of no less than our very own President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
And as the GPRA has been earmarked as a priority legislation following our presentation to the President and the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), ED Dennis wasted no time and already presented our proposed amendments to the 20-year-old GPRA not only to the House of Representatives but also to the Senate of the Philippines.
These are just a few of the reasons why I am proud to share with the world how we have significantly advanced open contracting reforms, especially our efforts at improving transparency in government procurement.
During the Open Government Global Summit in Tallinn, Estonia, I shared how we have already made significant improvements in our procurement system through alignment with national development goals, strong political will, and collective action. I look forward to presenting to them at our next summit the amended GPRA that will have participatory procurement as one of its pillars.
All of these—and more—would not be possible without your contributions. Maraming salamat po sa inyong paglilingkod sa bayan at sa ating mga kapwa Pilipino. It is because of your invaluable contribution that the PS-DBM has been able to exemplify reform-oriented procurement and public service for the past 45 years.
Moving forward, let us work together—as one PS-DBM—for the creation of a public procurement system that is truly inclusive, sustainable, reliable, and transparent—one that is world-class, and one that we can proudly put at the heart of delivering public services.
Thank you again for your service and congratulations on your founding anniversary! Mabuhay ang PS-DBM!
Wabillahi Tawfiq Wal Hidaya, Wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.
