The Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) has called on local companies to participate in the government-wide purchase of medical supplies for the COVID-19 response.
As part of government’s effort to help local enterprises during the pandemic, the PS-DBM said it has implemented a “domestic preference” policy in its procurement of all COVID-19 related goods, in accordance with the Bayanihan to Recover as One law (Bayanihan 2).
Domestic preference means PS-DBM will be awarding contracts to domestic firms, a policy that aims to stimulate employment and generate higher incomes for Filipinos, as well as provide additional tax revenue for the government.
Based on the PS-DBM data, there are 356 domestic suppliers and manufacturers that could participate in the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE), testing kits, and other medical supplies.
Of that, 299 are Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) registered, with businesses in testing instruments; medical apparel; personal safety and protection; paper products; solvents; cleaning and janitorial supplies; as well as plastic and chemical industries.
About 44 of them had also participated in PS-DBM’s previous procurements of COVID-19 response goods.
Meanwhile, there are also 26 local companies that have officially expressed intent to bid during the implementation of Bayanihan 2, which runs from September 11 to December 19, 2020.
However, PS-DBM noted that the 356 local companies have no Domestic Bidders (DoBid) preference certification from the Department of Trade and Industry - Competitiveness Bureau (DTI-CB), a prerequisite for this procurement process.
As of October 7, DTI-CB has only granted four DoBid certificates.
“PS-DBM would like to reiterate that suppliers and manufacturers who wish to benefit from domestic preference must secure a DoBid Preference Certification,” the agency said.
The DoBid certificate guarantees that the items being offered to the government are “substantially composed of articles, materials, or supplies that are grown, produced, or manufactured in the Philippines.“
“We would like to encourage the following companies to apply for a DoBid certification from DTI-CB,” PS-DBM added.
the procurement rules of Bayanihan 2, the PS-DBM should award the contracts to local companies with DoBid certificates that submitted the cheapest deals among domestic suppliers.
The PS-DBM is likewise allowed, under the Bayanihan 2, to award a contract to the local supplier even if its quoted price is higher than the lowest foreign bidder.
“When the bid submitted by the lowest domestic bidder with DoBid is not more than 15 percent in excess of the lowest foreign bid, domestic preference is applied and the contract is awarded to the domestic bidder,” PS-DBM said.
The PS-DBM assured that the agency is one with all industries and sectors in supporting local labor and products while ensuring the well-being of the Filipinos.
“With this, PS-DBM encourages all interested bidders to apply for a DoBid today and join our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” it concluded.