Budget chief Pangandman stands firm in support for PS-DBM

Amid the controversies surrounding the attached agency, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman stood firm in her support for the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), emphasizing that centralized procurement was still more advantageous to the government and the Filipino people.

Quoting Pangandaman’s speech at the Partners in Service 2023 appreciation event for PS-DBM partner-merchants and suppliers on Friday, the DBM said the Budget chief was confident the “PS-DBM will only get better” after some transformational initiatives and reforms.

“Centralized procurement is still more advantageous to the government and its people. Hence, I will continue to support PS-DBM while advocating for the restructuring of its organizational staffing and the amendment of the Government Procurement Reform Act which is already two decades old," said Pangandaman.

The DBM said the initiatives and reforms for the PS-DBM include the digitalization and the promotion of a sustainable procurement systems through Green Public Procurement (GPP).

The PS-DBM had been flagged for the procurement of Department of Education (DepEd) laptops that would be used in the implementation of distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The procurement agency was also linked to alleged irregularities surrounding the purchase of face masks, face shields, and other pandemic supplies with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. in 2020.

With the issues hounding the PS-DBM, Pangandaman said a manual was being crafted to guide procurement practitioners in embedding green specifications in Common-use Supplies and Equipment (CSEs).

The Budget chief also noted the need to amend the Government Procurement Reform Act.

"With the updated law, we will have the opportunity to put the right people in, thus ensuring accountability as well as the sustainability of the institution and our procurement system. I am confident that with the excellent leadership of Atty. Santiago, our reforms will be realized and executed with utmost integrity," said Pangandaman.

For his part, PS-DBM Executive Director (ED) Dennis Santiago presented PS-DBM’s 12-Point Agenda designed to foster game-changing transformation in the agency.

The PS-DBM’s 12-Point Agenda are as follows:

1. Focus on the procurement of Common-use Supplies and Equipment (CSEs) and suspend the procurement of non-CSEs;
2. Study, review, and rationalize CSEs to include products and other commonly procured goods to develop targeted strategies and the best way to procure them;
3. Study, review, and recast specifications and pricing to come up with appropriate requirements and develop a reasonable and fair approved budget for the contract (ABC);
4. Upscale the logistics and supply chain management to introduce transparency and accountability in the delivery of the procured items;
5. Beef up stock-priming of depots and hubs through continuous supply and delivery of CSEs;
6. Streamline and modernize the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) to employ a system that shall cover end-to-end eBidding, eShopping, and eReverse Auction Platforms;
7. Institutionalize and implement the Sustainable/Green Public Procurement (SPP/GPP) which shall enable the procurement of goods and services that have reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle;
8. Implement organizational restructuring of PS-DBM including its human resource development and capacity building;
9. Advance the market-strengthening strategy and alliance-building through all levels of government to identify the needed resources to achieve objectives;
10. 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;
11. Build up PS-DBM’s financial self-sufficiency to maintain its operations to contribute to the economy through the remittance of unrestricted earnings; and
12. Take advantage of the benefits of economies of scale through bulk purchasing.

The DBM said the 12-point agenda will also guide the organizational restructuring of PS-DBM, including human resource development and capacity building; market strengthening strategy and alliance building; institutionalization of Framework Agreement and Indefinite Delivery and Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contractual arrangements; take advantage of the benefits of economies of scale through bulk purchasing; and build-up PS-DBM’s financial self-sufficiency.

“We will not ask, solicit, beg, or require anything from you – pecuniary or otherwise – to secure a contract or an award. We urge you to continue complying with the legal, technical, and financial requirements of our project opportunities, and submit a responsive and competitive price offer to secure or win a project,” said Santiago. — DVM, GMA Integrated News