Gawin ang wasto! Participants of the UP Procurement Conference do the "wasto" hand sign, symbolizing their commitment to integrity and accountability. Photo by Jonathan Madrid, UPS-MCO.
“Gawin ang wasto!”
With arms crossed, each hand forming a check sign on top of the other, participants of this year’s University of the Philippines Procurement Conference yelled those three words, declaring their commitment to integrity and accountability.
Officials and staff from across the UP System gathered for the fifth annual event to discuss common challenges and ethical practices in procurement. Held Oct. 23 at the GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium, UP Diliman, the conference, organized by the UP Procurement Office carried the theme, The Integrity Standard: Value in Every Purchase — a call to uphold integrity, making it the norm, instead of the exception. The gathering also discussed procurement’s role in fulfilling UP’s mandate as a public university.
UP President Angelo Jimenez, in a prerecorded video message, reminded the university community of their shared responsibility to ensure that university resources are used wisely and in the public interest.
UPPO Director Flor “Rissa” Ofilada highlighted procurement’s contribution in achieving the university’s mission. She explained how procurement personnel — whom she referred to as “the invisible backbone” of the institution — supported research breakthroughs, the delivery of healthcare services, and the advancement of digital initiatives.
Dr. Cielo Magno, professor at the School of Economics in UPD and former undersecretary of the Department of Finance’s Fiscal Policy and Monitoring Group, was a guest speaker. She argued that procurement is more than just an administrative or legal function in government; it is a process with economic implications.
Atty. Rowena Candice Ruiz, director general of the Government Procurement Policy Board-Technical Support Office, discussed key principles of the New Government Procurement Act. She asserted that “integrity goes beyond avoiding corruption” and entails accountability to the public.
Beyond lectures, the conference also gauged participants’ knowledge and understanding of ethical and transparent procurement practices through activities like workbook exercises and a group quiz.
UP Vice President for Digital Transformation Peter Sy concluded the event, saying that success in the implementation of the university’s digital initiatives lie in “the right people” with “the right skills” and governed by the “right policy.” He also thanked the procurement officers who helped with the UP Procurement Guidelines for IT.
