DBM chief: GPPB to open new department focusing on ‘capacity building’
The Implementing Rules and Regulations of the New Government Procurement Act, the “biggest anti-corruption measure” in the country, have officially been approved, according to Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.
MANILA, Philippines — The Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) is set to open a new department that will focus on “capacity building” in line with the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said on Wednesday.
Established by virtue of Republic Act No. 9184, the GPPB is an independent inter-agency body that protects national interests in all matters affecting public procurement.
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“I’m happy to announce that with our New Government Procurement Act, the GPPB will introduce a new department, and that will be only focused on capacity building,” Pangandaman said in one of the side events of the 2025 Open Government Partnership Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting in Taguig City.
“So we’re looking for applicants, actually,” she added.
Article continues after this advertisementAfter several meetings and consultations, the chief of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) also announced that the Implementing Rules and Regulations for NGPA, or Republic Act No. 12009, was approved on Tuesday.
Article continues after this advertisementIn a meeting with the Makati Business Club early Wednesday, Pangandaman described the NGPA as the “biggest anti-corruption measure in the country’s recent history.”
“As we all know, public procurement is one of the governance aspects most prone to corruption, not just in the Philippines but across the globe. So, even before joining the Department of Budget and Management, I knew how important it was to update our 20-year-old Government Procurement Reform Act,” she added.
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the NGPA on July 20, 2024. It aims to address loopholes in the current government procurement system for a more economical and responsive process.
One of the significant features of the NGPA is the provision of 11 new modalities of procurement that will give government agencies greater flexibility in choosing ways to procure goods and services.
Moreover, the new law introduces the “Most Economically Advantageous Responsive Bid,” which evaluates both the qualitative and economic value of a proposal, as opposed to the current practice of selecting the “Lowest Calculated and Responsive Bid.”
