The Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) recently gave the go ahead for the construction of proposals for potable water system level 2 in 6 municipalities in Region 9.

After passing all the qualifying criteria set by PRDP to be eligible for funding under the Second Additional Financing and European Union Grant (AF2-EU), the proposed of potable water system level 2 (PWS 2) in the municipalities of Olutanga, Godod, Mutia, Siayan, Sibuo and Josefina received “No Objection Letter 1” (NOL 1) which was issued by the National Project Coordination Office (NPCO) and the Project Support Office Mindanao (PSO Mindanao) dated August 11, 25, Sept. 1 and Sept. 9, respectively, according to the estimated project cost (EPC) threshold.  The NPCO issues NOL 1 for subprojects amounting to P50 million and above while the PSO Mindanao issues NOL 1 for subprojects amounting to below P50 million.

The NOL1 issuance gives a “green light” to the respective municipal local government units to proceed with their procurement activities for their subrojects.  In line with this, PSO Mindanao with the Regional Project Coordination Office 9 (RPCO9) conducted the Procurement Training-Workshop for the Bids and Awards Committee and technical working group for Good, Mutia and Olutanga in Dipolog City on Sept. 20-22, 2022.

PSO Mindanao Procurement Officer Ellen Mae Briones defined procurement and its importance in project implementation highlighting the World Bank’s new procurement regulations harmonized with R.A. 9184 while Associate Procurement Officer Jennelaine Jos oriented the participants on the 5th edition of the Harmonized Philippine Bidding Document for Works. 

The participants from the 3 municipalities were coached on the posting of procurement notices on PhilGeps and the PRDP website.  At the end of the training-workshop, each group drafted their Philippine Bidding Documents, equipped with the pre-bid conference standard presentation material and stages of bid evaluation, and provided with the template for works and sample of bid evaluation report (BER).  RPCO9 Associate Procurement Officer Murizza Jainal also discussed the checklist of documents for submission to RPCO/PSO/NPCO should there be cases of rebidding.  

The financial arrangements and requirements were also discussed during the workshop. Both SES unit head Meneo B. Folgo and Geomapping and Governance Unit (GGU) head Heriberto Payopelin discussed respectively their concerns in the course for project implementation.

Another procurement training-workshop will be conducted for the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and Technical Working Group (TWG) members of Siayan, Sibuco and Josefina LGUs. (Remai S. Alejado | RPCO 9)