Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Thursday (September 26) gives emphasis on the agency’s policy of transparency in the bidding and procurement process as he urged manufacturers and suppliers to actively participate and ask questions in order to dispel any misconceptions on the DSWD’s procurement guidelines.
In his message at the Suppliers Summit held at the DSWD Central Office Auditorium, Secretary Gatchalian enjoined the attendees to read and understand the fine prints of the DSWD’s bidding requirements and procurement rules which are made public in the spirit of transparency.
Joining the DSWD chief in welcoming the participants were Undersecretary for General Administration and Support Services Group (GASSG) Edward Justine Orden, Asst. Secretary for GASSG Gina Wenceslao and Administrative Service (AS) Director Karina Antonette Agudo.
PBBM wants transparency in public bidding, procurement process – DSWD chief
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian wants the public bidding and procurement process in the agency to be marked with quality, integrity, and transparency in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
“Utos ni Presidente Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the bidding [process] should be transparent so we are making it as open and as liberal as possible to everybody,” Secretary Gatchalian said during the Supplier’s Summit for Manufacturers on Thursday (September 26) held at the Central Office Auditorium in Quezon City.
Secretary Gatchalian invited the participants from various manufacturers of raw materials and service providers from fast moving consumer goods, freight forwarding services, rice millers, and packaging suppliers to join the agency’s bidding process for the DSWD’s Buong Bansa Handa (BBH) Program.
The BBH employs two parallel supply chain mechanisms for disaster preparedness and response. The first one features a national and local government-driven supply chain, while the second supply chain forges partnerships with established large and small groceries, supermarkets, manufacturers, and distributors to leverage on their technical expertise and resources to create a private sector-driven supply chain.
“The more people that join our bids, the better it is for us. Mas panalo yung taong bayan kasi it will be very competitive. We want as many as diverse suppliers that can join to help us run this program,” the DSWD chief said in his message to the manufacturers and suppliers.
The Suppliers’ Summit is an effort of the DSWD to create a platform to discuss new procurement guidelines and issuances, and to introduce new market developments in terms of technical specifications of products and services to all primary actors in the procurement process.
In his message, Undersecretary for General Administration and Support Services Group (GASSG) Edward Justine Orden said the Summit aims to update the suppliers and manufacturers with Early Procurement Activities (EPA) requirements, components, and technical specifications, and provide an opportunity to clarify questions on the standard procedures of government procurement and public bidding.
Among the topics discussed during the Summit were the technical specifications for DSWD relief food items, non-food items, and other related supplies and equipment, and overview on the bidding process and framework agreement of the DSWD.
Other DSWD officials who attended the Summit were Asst. Secretary for GASSG Gina Wenceslao and Administrative Service (AS) Director Karina Antonette Agudo.
