In the Bi-Cameral Conference Committee meeting held on 17 December 2002, attended by Senators Edgardo Angara, Loren Legarda and Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. for the Upper House, and Representatives Rolando Andaya, Jr., Imee Marcos, and Plaridel Abaya for the Lower House, the GPRB versions of the Senate and the House of Representatives were reviewed, reconciled into one legislative measure, and recommended for approval by both Houses of Congress. The Conference Committee Report, which reconciled Senate Bill No. 2248 and House Bill No. 4809, was approved by both Houses of Congress on 18 December 2002. On 10 January 2003, the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) was signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo which is entitled "An Act Providing for the Modernization, Standardization and Regulation of the Procurement Activities of the Government and for other Purposes". The set of implementing rules and regulations (IRR) is presently being formulated by an inter-agency group, PWI included, with participation from the Congressional Oversight Committee of the GPRA. The IRR is expected to be approved by the President sometime March 2003. Link to press archive articles entitled "Both Houses Ratify Government Procurement Reform Bill" and " GMA Signs Procurement Bill into Law"

On November 29, 2002 in Davao City, PWI Program Director for Advocacy Kristina Pimentel gave a presentation on "Prevention - A Pillar of the Anti-Corruption Strategy" in a lecture series sponsored by the Philippine Governance Forum.

On 28 November 2002, Dr. Jacinto Gavino, PWI Board Chairman, presented the activities of PWI as an anti-corruption watchdog in a Conference on "Facing Up to Corruption" sponsored by the Makati Business Club at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City. The Conference presented what the various stakeholders are doing to help curb corruption in government procurement.

On November 7, 2002 at the Ariston Estrada Seminar Room in De La Salle University, Manila, PWI presented in a seminar entitled "A National Wave on Combating Corruption," organized by the Political Science Society as one of the 3 speakers in the said forum, along with Plunderwatch and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC). PWI Program Director for Advocacy Ms. Kristina Pimentel presented the "Magnitude of Corruption in the Philippines and the Role of Civil Society in Combating It," while Dr. Carolina Araullo of PlunderWatch presented a paper on the "Case of Joseph Estrada and the Pursuit of Good Governance in the Philippines," and Commissioner Baltazar of PAGC reported on "Government Strategies in Fighting Corruption."

On training: October 2002 - January 2003 - PWI, together with procurement experts of DBM-Procurement Service, DPWH and NEDA, have been conducting orientations/trainings on the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Executive Order No. 40 (EO 40) and the Government-Electronic Procurement System (G-EPS) for officials of various government agencies.

On Advocacy and Technical Assistance: October 2002 - December 2002 - PWI focused on the drafting of the GPRB of 2002 and provided advisory and secretariat services to the Senate Technical Working Group (TWG) established by Senator Edgardo Angara, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws. PWI also provided technical support to the House Technical Working Group established by Congressman Rolando Andaya, Jr., Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.

On September 28-29, 2002 at the School of Economics, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, for the 18 Pigs Project and September 27, 2002 at St. Scholastica's College, Manila, in a Briefing for Students on Procurement Reforms and Tax Administration, PWI Program Director for Advocacy Ms. Kristina Pimentel gave a presentation on the Government Procurement Reform Bill - its rationale, salient points and status. Moreover, she solicited the support for the aforementioned legislative measure.

September 26, 2002, PWI organized and hosted the cocktail reception for the Launch of Local government Units (LGU) Best Practices Brochure in cooperation with the Department of the Interior and Local Government. The reception marked the Launch of the Summary of a Study on LGU Good Practices in the area of procurement. Awards of recognition for the effort to increase transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public procurement were given to the Province of Negros Occidental, Naga city, Municipality of Buenavista in the province of Agusan del Norte, and Barangay Lunocan in the Municipality of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon