On 09 December 2004, Ms. Kristina V. Pimentel, Program Director for Advocacy of Procurement Watch Inc. (PWI), presented civil society's strategy for reforming the national public procurement system at a Video Conference to Rome for 15 senior World Bank (WB) procurement officials utilizing the Global Distance Learning Center at the Asian Institute of Management.
On 08 December 2004, the Hills Governance Center conducted a "Symposium on Good Procurement, Good Governance" at the SGV Hall of the AIM Conference Center in Makati City. The Symposium brought together procurement officers from the private and government sectors to exchange information on best practices in procurement. With greater demand for transparency and efficiency in the use of people's money and with the strategic importance of procurement in expenditure management, it was expected that procurement would figure prominently in governance reforms.
PWI participated in the Informal Preparatory Meeting in Promoting Ethical Practices in Medicines Registration and Procurement Systems conducted by the World Health Organization Pacific Region Office in Manila on 25 to 26 November 2004. The Meeting looked into the methodology for assessment of the registration and procurement systems for medicines and its implementation in a collaborative project.
PWI continued to conduct training sessions in order to disseminate information as to the prescribed bidding procedures under the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA). On 22-24 November 2004, a Training of Trainers on the GPRA was conducted for thirty two (32) volunteers from the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) at the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City. Mr. Guillermo Luz, Secretary-General of NAMFREL, delivered the Opening Remarks stating that the move to monitor government projects takes the NAMFREL to its original vision, which is good governance.
PWI continued to participate in the bidding activities of a number of government agencies as observer to their Bids and Awards Committees (BACs). Monitored were some stages of the bidding activities of the Bureau of Customs, Commission on Audit, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Education, National Labor Relations Commission, Office of the Ombudsman, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation, Professional Regulation Commission, Sugar Regulatory Administration, and Supreme Court of the Philippines.
On 18-19 November 2004, training on the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the Operational Guidelines of the Feedback Handling Mechanism (more information on Mechanism to be found on the next page) was conducted at the Lakandula Function Room of the Sulo Hotel for select Resident Ombudsmen (RO). Twenty-three (23) participants attended the 2-day session.
Under the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA), the Resident Ombudsman (RO) is mandated to act on BAC observer report. In this light, the Office of the RO shall serve as the BAC observer report and complaint action center. The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) with assistance from PWI and funding support from USAID through the Asia Foundation crafted the draft Operational Guidelines on the Feedback and Complaint Handling mechanism for BAC Observers.
On 21-23 October 2004, PWI Program Director Ms. Kristina Pimentel presented a paper entitled "Procurement Watch Inc.: The Role of Civil Society in Public Procurement Reforms in the Philippines," at the International Public Procurement Conference held at the Embassy Suites in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. The said paper was published as Chapter III of the book entitled "Challenges in Public Procurement: An International Perspective."
A Briefing on Combating Corruption was conducted in the afternoon of 20 September 2004 at the Filipinas Heritage Library in Makati City. The Makati Business Club, in partnership with the Asia Foundation and the Office of the Ombudsman, held the Briefing in preparation for the Citizens Against Corruption Conference held the following day at the Makati Shangri-la.
In August of 2004, the Department of Education's (DepEd) Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) through Procurement Watch Inc. (PWI) submitted recommendations to DepEd's Undersecretary for Finance and Administration Juan Miguel Luz aimed at increasing transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the agency's procurement:
The Philippines participated in the Second Master Training Seminar on Curbing Corruption in Public Procurement organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and conducted at the ADB Headquarters in Mandaluyong City from 07-09 July 2004. Representing the Philippines were Executive Director Jose Martin C. Syquia of the Government Procurement Policy Board and Executive Director Cipriano A. Ravanes, Jr. of Procurement Watch Inc.
On June 29 and 30 2004, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the its British counterpart, the Department for International Development (DFID )held a 2-day Procurement Workshop at the Church House Conference Center at Westminster, London. The goal of the Workshop, was to produce supporting documents that shall encourage missions/country offices to consider undertaking/expanding procurement reform efforts in their countries; and encourage host countries to embrace procurement reform as part of anti-corruption and financial management reform efforts.
On 22 June 2004, PWI held its second roundtable meeting on monitoring compliance with the implementing rules and regulations of the GPRA (RA 9184) at the Holiday Inn Galleria Manila. In attendance were Members and Secretariat of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Budget and Management - Procurement Service, Department of Education, Department of National Defense, Office of the Ombudsman, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Philippine Ports Authority, Professional Regulation Commission, the Supreme Court, and the Security and Exchange Commission. A brief overview of the role of observers and the presentation of the observations on the bidding procedures of the different agencies were part of the program of activities.
Procurement Watch Inc. (PWI) with funding from The Asia Foundation through the Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN) conducted Training of Trainers Session on the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) on 12-14 May 2004, at the Lakandula Room of the Sulo Hotel for twenty five (25) participants representing various civil society organizations (CSOs). A similar Session was held on 27-28 May 2004 at the Dabaw Room of the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao City. Thirty two (32) participants representing civil society and the business chambers of eight (8) cities in Mindanao, namely, Davao City, Dipolog City, Cotabato City, Island Garden City of Samal, Surigao City, Marawi City, Iligan City, and General Santos City attended the Training Session.
On 21 May 2004, during the 16th Anniversary of the Office of the Ombudsman, Procurement Watch Inc. (PWI) was awarded a Plaque of Recognition for its anti-corruption efforts. PWI was only one of two civil society organizations (CSOs) acknowledged for the said cause.
On 29 and 30 April 2004, PWI with support from The Asia Foundation (TAF) under the Transparent Accountable Governance (TAG) Project, held an Awareness Building Session on the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and business chambers of Dapitan City, Iligan City, and Marawi City at the VIP Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City. A total of thirty one (31) participants were present during the 2-day Session.
On 20 April 2004, Procurement Watch Inc. (PWI), along with twelve (12) other members of the consortium of non-government organizations (NGOs) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Education (DepEd) on its Textbook Count 2 project which aims to ensure timely delivery of 15,700,000 textbooks and teacher's manuals meeting the specified requirements through monitoring and inspection, with the participation of NGOs. The signing took place at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, DepEd Complex, Pasig City.
On 29 and 30 March 2004, PWI with support from The Asia Foundation (TAF) under the Transparent Accountable Governance (TAG) Project, held an Awareness Building Session on the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and business chambers of General Santos City and Cotabato City at the Family Country Hotel and Convention Center in Lagao, General Santos City. Around thirty (30) representatives of CSOs and business chambers participated in the two-day session.
On 11 and 12 March 2004, PWI with support form The Asia Foundation, held a 2-day Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) Awareness Building Session for the Secretariats of the Leagues of Cities, and Municipalities at the Picasso Room of the Holiday Inn Galleria Manila, located at ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Representatives from the Evelio B. Javier Foundation (EBJF) also attended the Session.
On 24 and 25 February 2004, PWI with support from The Asia Foundation (TAF) under the Transparent Accountable Governance (TAG) Project conducted a 2-day Awareness Building Session on the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) where PWI held two (2) mock bidding sessions for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and business chambers of Surigao and Samal at the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao City.
On 13 February 2004, PWI with support from the Office of the Ombudsman conducted a Training Seminar on the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) at the CCB Training Room, G/F Office of the Ombudsman, Agham Road, Quezon City.
On 27 and 28 January 2004, PWI with the help of The Asia Foundation (TAF), under the Transparent and Accountable Governance Project, organized an Awareness Building Session on the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) for the members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of six (6) cities in Mindanao, namely: Iligan, Dapitan, General Santos, Island Garden City of Samal, Marawi, and Surigao at the Holiday Plaza in Cebu City. The two-day session aimed at providing a greater understanding of the GPRA and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) and a venue for the development of a Code of Ethics and Standard of Conduct for the BAC.
