'SUSTAINABLE AND ACCOUNTABLE'. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman delivers a keynote speech during the "Partners in Service 2023" event held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Friday (Feb. 17, 2023). She said sustainability and accountability in procurement efforts are key to "genuine, all-encompassing" prosperity. (Photo courtesy of DBM) MANILA - The Philippines can achieve a "genuine, all-encompassing" prosperity through a "sustainable and accountable" procurement system, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Friday. During the "Partners in Service 2023" event held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, Pangandaman said fostering accountability and sustainability in public procurement would encourage more partnerships with the private sector and provide greater opportunities to the Filipino people. "This can be achieved through a sustainable and accountable procurement system that will make the public service delivery more efficient and effective, one that Filipinos deserve and desire," Pangandaman said in her keynote speech. "With these two (accountability and sustainability), we can look forward to a genuine, all-encompassing prosperity in our public institutions, private businesses and, ultimately, in our country," she added. "Partners in Service" 2023 is an appreciation event for partner-merchants and suppliers of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM). Led by PS-DBM Executive Director Dennis Santiago, the event aims to recognize the support of companies and organizations that have partnered with the agency, as well as discuss future collaborations and partnerships. This is the first time the PS-DBM conducted an in-person engagement since the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Partners for economic transformation bid Pangandaman reiterated her support for the PS-DBM, saying centralized procurement remains "more advantageous" to the government and Filipinos. She enjoined the PS-DBM partners to continue supporting the government to reach its goal to transform the Philippine economy. "As we strive to create an efficient and transparent system so that the public can hold accountable those who are in position, we seek your help in the sustainability aspect of our efforts as this will define our lives in the coming years and decades and in fact, our generations to come," Pangandaman told the PS-DBM partner-merchants and suppliers. "We encourage you, our bidders, partners and suppliers to join us in ensuring that our economic transformation is not only inclusive but also sustainable for the coming generations," she added. Reorganization of PS-DBM Pangandaman also stressed the importance to restructure the organizational staffing of the PS-DBM. This, as she expressed confidence that the PS-DBM will "get better," considering the "transformational initiatives and reforms at hand." Pangandaman cited the digitalization efforts and the promotion of a sustainable procurement system through Green Public Procurement (GPP) as among those transformational reforms. "Let's take it to the next level with the digitalization efforts for sustainability. Let's see the best PS-DBM yet," she said. Santiago presented the PS-DBM's 12-point agenda to attain "game-changing transformation" in the agency. He said the 12-point agenda aims to focus on the procurement of common-use supplies and equipment (CSEs); study, review, and rationalize CSEs; study, review, and recast specifications and pricing; beef up stock-priming of depots and hubs; streamline and modernize the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS); and institutionalize and implement the GPP. The agenda, Santiago added, 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; taking advantage of the benefits of economies of scale through bulk purchasing; and build-up of PS-DBM's financial self-sufficiency. Amending procurement law Pangandaman also renewed her call to amend the 20-year Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act. She maintained that the procurement law must be revised, considering that it is "already two decades old." "Our society has changed drastically since its enactment, hence, the need to update and revise to reflect as well the latest social and technological developments that we can use to meet our goal," she said. "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." Pangandaman expressed optimism that with Santiago's "excellent" leadership, reforms will be realized and executed with "utmost integrity." (PNA) }