19 August 2025, Manila – The Coconut Industry Investment Fund Oil Mills Group (CIIF-OMG), consistent with the initiatives of the Government Procurement Policy Board Technical Support Office (GPPB-TSO), spearheaded on Tuesday a capacity development forum on Republic Act No. 12009, commonly known as the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA). Eyeing to equip CIIF-OMG employees as the government gradually transitions to R.A. No. 12009 in the conduct of its procurement activities, GPPB-accredited procurement trainer Engr. Antonio Bautista made an in-depth presentation on the salient points of the NGPA.
Central to the discussion during the seminar were the key features of the new procurement measure. In his presentation, Engr. Bautista underscored that the NGPA was enacted to fill in the gaps in the old procurement law and prepare government agencies for digital transformation.
“As you know very well, the 21-year-old R.A. No. 9184 has been amended several times. Now that the implementation of R.A. No. 12009 is in full swing, we expect that unnecessary and difficult processes in the government will be avoided,” Engr. Bautista said.
Among the key features of the new law is the full digitization of the procurement process, from planning to implementation, through the modernized Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS). The NGPA likewise strengthens transparency and accountability by institutionalizing open contracting standards and practices, putting in place mechanisms that enhance public oversight through observer participation.
“By fully digitizing government procurement process through PhilGEPS 2.0 and incorporating open contracting, NGPA makes transparency the norm and accountability unavoidable,” Engr. Bautista added.
The forum, which was facilitated by the Procurement Department of CIIF-OMG, was attended by more than 50 employees onsite and online.
