The Procurement Service - Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), through its Customer Service team under the Marketing and Sales Division (MSD), recently facilitated orientation sessions among members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and employees of the University of the Philippines (UP) - Diliman in an effort to keep its client-agencies updated with the latest developments in the agency’s operations.
On August 30, 2023, members of the AFP Education, Training and Doctrine Command (AFPETDC) visited the PS-DBM Main Office in Paco, Manila for an educational tour which included a close inspection of the agency’s warehouse facility — allowing them to observe the intricacies of supply chain and warehouse management.
On August 31, PS-DBM was invited by UP Diliman to host a seminar on the use of the Virtual Store (VS), among other features and functionalities of the PS-DBM’s modernized Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (mPhilGEPS). The lecture was participated in by supply and property management officers from UP Diliman and its Constituent Universities — gathering a total of 41 attendees from UP Diliman, UP Los Baños, Open University, Manila , UP-General Hospital, UP Tacloban College, UP Cebu, and UP Mindanao.
Both engagements provided a comprehensive walkthrough on utilizing VS and mPhilGEPS, including a discussion on the submission of the Annual Procurement Plan for Common Use Supplies and Equipment (APP-CSE) 2024 Form due on September 15, 2023.
“The emergence of digital platforms has revolutionized the transactions and operations even in the public sector, with VS enabling the ‘add to cart’ purchasing experience for our client-agencies,” said Mr. Robert Humarang, MSD lead trainer who facilitated the sessions along with Ms. May Ann Chan.
PS-DBM, through these knowledge sharing activities, aims to boost the government’s thrust towards digitalizing its operations to make way for a more convenient, secure, and efficient public procurement process — further strengthening its partnership with other government agencies.