To facilitate the prompt delivery of educational materials and the effective execution of projects, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Monday, Sept. 23, that it will implement Early Procurement Activities (EPA).
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara has signed DepEd Memorandum 049, s. 2024, which mandates the implementation of EPA throughout the agency.
This decisive move, DepEd said, will allow its procurement entities to initiate activities early, ensuring that contracts for goods, infrastructure projects, and consulting services are awarded ahead of the following fiscal year.
“We are making every effort to improve our procurement process and accelerate its pace,” said Secretary Angara during the recent House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations hearing.
Faster process
DepEd noted that this initiative is also designed to fast-track the procurement of goods and services, including textbooks, learning tools, and infrastructure projects, for Fiscal Year (SY) 2025.
This process, DepEd explained, covers all procurement stages—from posting opportunities to the recommendation of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) to the Head of Procuring Entities (HoPE)—pending budget approval.
“It applies to procurement projects via Competitive Bidding and Alternative Methods, excluding certain exceptions such as repeat orders, emergency cases, and small-value procurements,” DepEd said.
DepEd noted that for FY 2025, all levels of DepEd governance will engage in EPA.
“At the Central Office, this will focus on high-priority projects, including textbooks, e-Learning Cart packages, testing materials, and learning tools and equipment,” DepEd said.
DepEd explained that Regional and Schools Division Offices (ROs and SDOs) will also conduct EPA for their respective projects, including those overseen by the Central Office, such as smart-TV packages, laptops, school furniture, electrification projects, school health facilities, and the construction of last-mile school buildings.
Based on DepEd's timeline, the bidding process for these projects will begin in October 2024, with contracts expected to be awarded and Notices to Proceed (NTPs) issued by January 2025.