The Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management asked local companies to participate in the government-wide purchase of medical supplies in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PS-DBM said as a part of government’s effort to help local enterprises during the pandemic, it implemented a “domestic preference” policy in its procurement of all COVID-19 related goods, in accordance with the Bayanihan to Recover as One law or Bayanihan 2.
Domestic preference means the PS-DBM will award contracts to local companies, a policy that aims to stimulate employment and generate higher incomes for Filipinos and 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, testing kits and other medical supplies. Of that, 299 were registered with the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System with businesses in testing instruments, medical apparel, personal safety and protection, paper products, solvents, cleaning and janitorial supplies and plastic and chemical industries.
About 44 of them also participated in PS-DBM’s previous procurement of COVID-19 response goods.
Meanwhile, there are 26 local companies that expressed intent to bid during the implementation of Bayanihan 2 which runs from Sept. 11 to Dec. 19, 2020.
The PS-DBM said, however, that 356 local companies had no domestic bidders preference certification from the Department of Trade and Industry-Competitiveness Bureau, a prerequisite for the procurement process to grant the bidders a 15-percent premium over bidders.
It said that as of Oct. 7, DTI-CB granted only 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 DBM said.
The DoBid certificate guarantees that the items being offered to the government by the local bidder are “substantially composed of articles, materials or supplies that are grown, produced or manufactured in the Philippines.“
“We would like to encourage the following [356] companies to apply for a DoBid certification from DTI-CB,” PS-DBM said.
Under 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 also allowed under the Bayanihan 2 to award a contract to the local supplier even 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,” the 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 said.