LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY – Members of the local government units’ (LGUs) Bids and Awards Committee laud the Philippine Rural Development Project’s (PRDP) Procurement and Financial Management System for serving as a tool to protect them from improper biddings, irregularities, and disadvantageous deals.

During the Procurement and Financial Management Training for Local Government Units held in this city, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Chairman of the Provincial Local Government Unit of Catanduanes, Engr. Felix Vargas Jr., and Engr. Benjamin Hannycel Nuyda, a member of the Technical Working Group (BAC-TWG), said that by requiring prospective bidders to provide supporting documents, the BAC are guaranteed of the authenticity of their bids.

“Maganda sa part ng BAC kasi nagiging protection din sa amin kasi yung mga bidders talagang nagiging aware sila kung ano ang mga dapat gawin (It is advantageous on the part of the BAC because it safeguards us by making the bidders aware of what they should do),” Vargas said.

Vargas and Nuyda were among of the members of the BAC and Finance team from the local government units of Albay, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon who participated in the Procurement and Financial Management Training conducted by the PRDP. The activity apprised the LGUs on procurement procedures and guidelines, financial management systems and processes, and financial documents required in subproject implementation. It also guided them in the preparation of the Implementation Management Agreement (IMA) as well as determining disbursement timelines for PRDP subprojects.

PRDP Project Support Office South Luzon Procurement Unit Head Michael Gregory Vargas, PRDP PSO South Luzon Procurement Specialist Arch. Maria Rhoda Lavinia Mendoza, PRDP-Bicol Finance Analyst Francis Llesis and PRDP-Bicol Procurement Officer Engr. Jesti Bergantin lectured on procurement planning, process flow and timelines, financial management system and the provisions of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), IMA, and Enterprise Investment Agreement (EIA) relative to procurement. They also coached the participants on bidding simulation for national competitive bidding, infrastructure development (I-BUILD) and enterprise development (I-REAP) procurement guidelines, Philippine Bidding Document, posting of invitation, request for quotations, evaluation and post-qualification and bid evaluation report (BER) preparation.

PRDP-Bicol Procurement Unit Head Imelda Acompañado reminded the participants that procurement is inseparably linked with the disbursement and subproject implementation.

“Let’s decide firmly that we are undertaking this Project and let us not delay the implementation of the Project,” Acompañado said. ###  (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-RAFIS V)  

PRDP PSO South Luzon Procurement Specialist Arch. Maria Rhoda Lavinia Mendoza assists the PLGU-Catanduanes and Masbate in BER preparation.