DFA organizes first online procurement training in partnership with GPPB-TSO

From left to right: The live sessions were coordinated at the BAC Secretariat office and were joined by an aggregate of more than 600 procurement practitioners from the different DFA offices, Consular Offices and Foreign Service Posts. (DFA-BAC photos)

PASAY CITY 27 November 2020 – As part of its mandate to provide training and capacity development activities to enhance the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) personnel’s knowledge on procurement, the DFA Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Secretariat, in coordination with the Government Procurement Policy Board-Technical Support Office (GPPB-TSO), conducted its first online procurement trainings on Republic Act 9184 and Its 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations. The live online lectures were conducted by GPPB recognized trainers on 19 November 2020. An evening session was also arranged to highlight selected lectures recorded the previous day, and a live interaction with Foreign Service Posts (FSP) BAC Support on 20 November 2020 to supplement the lectures viewed by participants.

In his opening remarks, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Administration and the Department’s Head of Procuring Entity, J. Eduardo Malaya underscored the importance of procurement work to the operations of the Department and commended the GPPB’s initiative on “Proactive Procurement” with the shift to online trainings to better capacitate personnel with the new guidelines on procurement and to reach out to more agencies and government procurement practitioners that physical training could not do due to limitations of venue, location, and budget.

On behalf of GPPB, Executive Director Rowena Candice M. Ruiz highlighted the importance of capacity building as well as being responsive to emerging needs and adaptive to technological innovations and noted the importance of collaboration by giving recognition to the strategic partnership with the DFA. Executive Director Ruiz commended the Department’s continuing capacity development program, and ensuring support from all of the agency’s procurement practitioners.

The training was attended by an aggregate of more than 600 participants, including members of the DFA Bids and Awards Committees (BAC), Technical Working Groups, BAC Secretariat and procurement practitioners in the Main Office, Consular Offices, Foreign Service Posts and attached agencies, including the Foreign Service Institute. The training was also part of the Department’s compliance with the Agency Procurement Compliance and Performance Indicators (APCPI). END

Usec. Malaya, Asec. Castaneda, with the GPPB recognized trainers – Dir. Mark Louie C. Martin (DBM), Dir. Mary Angelene DP. Arabit-Tolentino (DOT) and Atty. Peter Paul A. Soliva (BSP) and members of the organizing committee pose for a ceremonial photo during an appreciation video meeting to mark the completion of the training activities. (DFA-BAC photo)