The Procurement Service – Department of Budget and Management, led by Executive Director (ED) Genmaries “Gen” S. Entredicho-Caong, shared its efforts to combat corruption in public procurement at the ‘United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) Review Follow-Up Workshop: Advancing a Fair Economy under IPEF,’ held in March 2025 in Mandaluyong City.
Adopted in 2003, the UNCAC of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime is an international anti-corruption multilateral treaty designed to fight corruption through preventive policies, criminalization of corrupt practices, and enhanced international cooperation. The Philippines, being one of the 191 member-countries of the convention, is also a partner in the UNCAC’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)—an agreement advancing a fair economy through robust anti-corruption initiatives.
The collaborative UNCAC Review Follow-Up Workshop, assembled in November 2023, is a recurring activity aimed at reviewing the member-countries’ continued compliance with their commitments under the UNCAC, using a comprehensive matrix that assesses gaps, developments, and overall progress.
This latest conduct of the workshop gathered various government agencies, including PS-DBM, to share updates on the efforts made in alignment with the IPEF Fair Economy Agreement and other relevant international standards. Specifically, the objective was to assess the current policies in detail, identify priorities, develop actionable recommendations and reforms, and establish implementation mechanisms—all of which are geared toward chartering a clear roadmap for improving the domestic anti-corruption framework.
For its part, the PS-DBM underscored its initiatives on leveraging emerging technologies in institutionalizing the digital transformation of government procurement. With its Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) being continuously modernized, alongside the operationalization of additional features such as the eMarketplace, the PS-DBM digitalizes the whole procurement process, resulting in minimized opportunities for human intervention and thereby mitigating the risk of corrupt practices in public procurement.
To recall, the enhancement of PhilGEPS was among the key points of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s (PBBM) speech at the 5th State Conference on the UNCAC Implementation and Review in December 2024. Highlighting the passing of the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), which designates PhilGEPS as the primary source of procurement information and the main channel in the conduct of all procurement activities of the government, the President stated that the use of PhilGEPS creates a more detailed audit trail.
“By streamlining and digitalizing processes, we are improving efficiency and fostering trust and accountability between the government and the public,” he said.
In the UNCAC workshop, the PS-DBM also shared its role in amending the decades-old procurement law, paving the way for the enactment of NGPA. By proposing provisions together with the DBM and the Government Procurement Policy Board - Technical Support Office (GPPB-TSO), the NGPA is enshrined with progressive and transformative procurement reforms. These provisions include the concept of Open Government Partnership (OGP), open contracting, beneficial ownership, interconnected and interoperable systems, professionalization, and participatory procurement, among other provisions that uphold the principles of transparency, civic participation, and public accountability.
Together with ED Gen were Atty. Ramon Antonio L. Matibag, Director for Legal Office; Atty. Marlita V. Dagsa, Director for Administrative and Finance Office; Atty. Lyodychie Q. Camarao; Atty. Charlotte Vina S. Casinillo, Atty. Chester B. Villafaña, and Engr. Diane T. Arbitrario-Villaflor. The workshop was also attended by representatives from the DBM; GPPB-TSO; Anti–Money Laundering Council (AMLC); Civil Service Commission (CSC); Commission on Audit (COA); Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), formerly NEDA; Department of Justice (DOJ); House of Representatives (HoR); Office of the Ombudsman; Office of the President–Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs (OP-ODESLA); Presidential Communications Office–Freedom of Information; and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
By the end of the program—from context setting, thematic discussions, analysis of gaps and challenges, capacity building needs and solutions development, to consolidation of recommendations—participants, including PS-DBM, renewed their commitment to combatting anti-corruption in a bid to bolster economic growth, social equity, and good governance. | March 24, 2025/GD