PIONEER. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. speaks at the 2025 Open Government Philippines Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting in Taguig City on Thursday (Feb. 6, 2025). In his speech, President Marcos said the New Government Procurement Act has made the Philippines a “leading model of transparency in Asia and a pioneer in open governance in the world.” (Photo courtesy of PCO)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has noted that the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) has made the Philippines a “leading model of transparency in Asia and a pioneer in open governance in the world.”
“This landmark law (NGPA) simplifies, improves, and modernizes the decades-old Philippine government procurement system,” Marcos said during the opening of the 2025 Open Government Philippines (OGP) Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Manila in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
“It enables open contracting, which requires the disclosure of data and documents at every stage of the procurement process. Representatives from civil society organizations will be invited to participate in that process, further strengthening their ability to monitor public fund expenditure and contract implementation,” he added.
Marcos touted the NGPA, otherwise known as Republic Act (RA) 12009, as “the biggest anti-corruption law in modern times,” stressing that the law bolsters the Philippines’ fight against corruption and red tape.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the NGPA is the biggest anti-corruption measure in the country’s recent history as it introduces open contracting, disclosure of beneficial ownership information and public participation at all levels of procurement process, in sync with government values.
As part of the procurement policy reforms, Marcos said the government also leveraged on the latest technologies to further improve the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) to allow state agencies to just “Add to Cart” supplies and pay them online.
“Motor vehicles are now available in the system and we are adding more and more supplies in the coming months. This means government agencies can now procure goods in a more efficient, streamlined, and cost-effective manner from the comforts of their offices whilst being completely transparent to anyone, any citizen, and any member of government,” he said.
Marcos said the government is also working on harmonizing the various budget management systems to eliminate redundancies, as well as achieve efficiency and accuracy in the management of revenues and of expenditures.
He said the Public Financial Management Reforms Roadmap 2024-2028, launched in September 2024, now also helps in solidifying his administration’s dedication to the full digitalization of bureaucracy.
“This budget blueprint will facilitate the automation of our public financial management, from planning and procurement to the monitoring and evaluation of how we spend public funds. These initiatives stem from our belief that by creating spaces for civic engagement at all levels of our society, we can truly create transformative and impactful changes down to the grassroots level. We, in the government, are keenly determined to sustain this momentum of best practices,” he added.
Pangandaman, who also chairs the Philippine OGP, said the Philippines is the leading country in Asia when it comes to fiscal transparency, based on the latest Open Budget Survey. (PNA)
