PS-DBM eyes canceling Wawao, SYMS’ e-procurement platform membership

The Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) is on high alert to cancel the membership of more contractors in the government’s e-procurement platform amid their involvement in anomalous flood control projects.

In a statement on Monday, the DBM said among the concerned companies that may be excluded from the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) are Wawao Builders and SYMS Construction Trading.

“Kung matatandaan n’yo po, ipinag-utos ng ating Pangulo na i-blacklist ang mga contractor na sangkot sa ma-anomalyang flood control projects. Nakasaad po ‘yan sa ating New Government Procurement Act na ang implementing agency ang kayang mag-blacklist ng contractors nila,” DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said.

(If you recall, our President ordered the blacklisting of contractors involved in anomalous flood control projects. It is stated in our New Government Procurement Act that the implementing agency can blacklist their contractors.)

“Malinaw po ‘yan, may proseso po ‘yan. At kami naman po, sa PS-DBM, handa kaming ikansela ang iba pang kumpanyang ito sa PhilGEPS para hindi na sila makasali sa procurement activities ng gobyerno,” she added.

(That is clear, there is a process for that. And we, at PS-DBM, are ready to cancel these other companies from PhilGEPS so that they can no longer participate in government procurement activities.)

On September 4, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it has imposed a lifetime ban on contractors Wawao and SYMS that were behind the reported ghost projects in Bulacan.

The PS-DBM pointed out that the cancellation of PhilGEPS membership in the event of blacklisting is in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 12009, otherwise known as the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

“This consequently removes the companies' records from the PhilGEPS registry, and therefore totally prohibits them from joining any procurement project of the government,” the PS-DBM said.

For his part, PS-DBM executive director Genmaries "Gen" Entredicho-Caong said, “Batid po namin sa PS-DBM ang aming responsibilidad na umagapay sa ibang sangay at kawani ng pamahalaan na tiyaking walang korapsyon sa gobyerno, lalong-lalo na sa aspeto ng public procurement.”

(We at PS-DBM are aware of our responsibility to support other government agencies and staff to ensure that there is no corruption in government, especially in the aspect of public procurement.)

According to the executive director, PhilGEPS is the primary source of government procurement information and the main channel in the government's conduct of all its procurement activities.

Meanwhile, the PS-DBM said Pangandaman recently met with DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to discuss the extensive review of the DPWH budget for 2026.

The PS-DBM on Friday initially announced that it has cancelled the membership of nine construction companies owned and controlled by contractor Sarah Discaya in the government’s e-procurement platform.

PS-DBM said the cancellation of PhilGEPS membership of the following Discaya-linked companies takes effect immediately following the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board's (PCAB) move to revoke the contractor licenses of the firms in question:

• St. Gerrard Construction Gen. Contractor & Dev't Corporation
• Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Dev't Corporation
• St. Timothy Construction Corporation
• Amethyst Horizon Builders And Gen. Contractor & Dev't Corp.
• St. Matthew General Contractor & Development Corporation
• Great Pacific Builders And General Contractor, Inc.
• YPR General Contractor And Construction Supply, Inc.
• Waymaker OPC
• Elite General Contractor And Development Corp.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has called for an investigation into anomalous flood control projects as many parts of the country have been submerged amid heavy rains in the past months.

Several government agencies, as well as the Senate and the House of Representatives, have launched their respective investigations.

Some flood control projects were found to be ghost projects. —Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA Integrated News