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MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 193, August 22, 2007 ]

PLACING THE GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT POLICY BOARD IN THE FRONTLINES OF THE WAR AGAINST GRAFT

WHEREAS, the government should maximize the potential of the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) as a tripwire against corruption by empowering the body to promote the culture of good procurement practices in the government;

WHEREAS, good governance starts with good procurement;

WHEREAS, so that all government agencies will be on the same page when it comes to asset acquisition, GPPB should take the lead in preaching good procurement with Government Procurement Act (GPRA) as the bible.

WHEREAS, raising the "procurement quotient" of government officials will deter wastage of taxpayers' money and lead to value-for-money purchases by the country's biggest consumer of goods and services;

WHEREAS, with GPRA popularized among the public and internalized by civil servants, ignorance of its provisions would no longer be invoked as a reason for the commission of malfeasance;

WHEREAS, other agencies are getting large amounts under the Millennium Challenge Account;

WHEREAS, at present GPPB has a staff of less than twenty (20);

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA M. ARROYO, President of the Philippines, by the powers vested in me by law do hereby order:

Section 1. The GPPB to pursue the following:

1. Organize seminars for local governments which can be packaged and institutionalized as Procurement Policy Education for LGUs (PROPEL). This can include an information package and a series of seminars for LGU officials involved in procurement.

2. Wage an Anti-Lemon Law campaign, centering on the warranty cover on goods bought by public funds, which GPRA stipulates, preferably, infrastructure projects, including a "trophy project" which shall replaced or repaired by a contractor.

3. Designed a "Seal of Good Procurement" or a "GPRA-Compliant" icon that can be printed in goods up for mass distribution.ᇈWᑭHIL For example, public school textbooks can feature the said icon, done in the style a la "Winner of the Booker Prize," in their covers with the informative text: "As a result of the Government Procurement Reform Act, the cost of textbooks, such as this one, has gone down to P40, resulting in more books for schools and great savings for taxpayers like you."

4. Create an Oscars for procurement, an "Ulirang Mamimili" of sorts awards for best procurement "institutions, individual, initiatives." Success stories on procurement, reflected on the low delivery price, fast and transparent procurement, end-results the public can identify with and their only gauge of effective procurement, can be showcased in all the award literature. Corollary to this, GPPB can launch the "Procurement Integrity by Truthful Officials" (PTO) Awards, literally a golden whistle, a whistleblower award, for vigilant procurement officers.

5. Popularize the GRPA by publishing pamphlets like "Bidding for Beginners"; establishing a news service that will send out copyright-waived weekly dispatches on procurement issues that can be called "Procurement News and Views", among other media campaigns;

6. Involve the academe by asking GPPB to render technical assistance in the formulation of a syllabus for the subject Government Procurement 1010 which will be included in Public Administration courses offered by State Universities and Colleges.

Section 2. To measure procurement quotient, questions on GPRA shall henceforth be included in all Civil Service and CESO eligibility examinations.

Section 3. To undertake all of the foregoing, plus other instructions the undersigned may wish to order later, Twenty Million Pesos (P20,000,000.00) shall be released to GPPB.

Done on this 22nd day of August, 2007.

(Sgd.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

By the President:

(Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

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