The Procurement Service – Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) Executive Director (ED) Atty. Dennis S. Santiago was among the speakers in the 2023 Philippine Association for Government Budget Administration (PAGBA), Inc. 2nd Quarterly Seminar on August 31 in Davao City where he lectured on the latest updates on the Republic Act (RA) No. 9184, otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA), and its 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
In his presentation, anchored on the event's theme, "Responding to the Continuing Challenges of Innovations and Technology to Public Financial Management," ED Santiago shared the PS-DBM’s initiative in reforming the existing procurement rules and guidelines through amendments of the GPRA — furthering the promotion of efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the public procurement process. He also elaborated on the roles of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and the end-to-end procurement process, commencing from the submission of the Annual Procurement Plan (APP) to the posting of contracts.
The four-day event — which featured talks on budgeting, taxation, digital transformation, investments, accounting and auditing, and civil service, among others — gathered public fiscal practitioners and experts who aspire to make innovations for effective and efficient public fiscal administration and management.
During the official travel, ED Santiago maximized his time to also conduct warehouse inspections of the PS-DBM Davao Depot, along with Regional Operations Group Director Mr. Dave Valderrama. The visit included a meeting with PS-DBM Supervisor and DBM Regional Office XI Director Gary Martel.
Ultimately, PS-DBM’s participation in capacity-building engagements such as the PAGBA seminar and the official visits in regional depots form part of the agency’s effort to institute transformational reforms and policies aimed at fulfilling the agency's mandate: streamline the centralized procurement of Common-use Supplies and Equipment (CSE) for the whole of government.