The University of the Philippines System Procurement Office (UPPO), in cooperation with the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG), held a conference on the procurement process at the University on October 28 at the International Center for Public Administration (ICPA), UP NCPAG, UP Diliman, Quezon City. The event also served as a venue for the launch of the website created by the UPPO for all its stakeholders.
Dubbed “Demystifying Procurement, Making the Right Choices,” the event was attended by administrative personnel from UP constituent units across the country. About 200 participants were physically present at the ICPA, and more than 160 joined online via Zoom. The UPPO enlivened the conference by conducting educational games in familiar formats: multiple choice, family feud, rearranging the letters to form words, and role-playing activities that imparted knowledge on different terms, stages, and members involved the procurement process.
The UP Procurement Hub, the website created by the UPPO for all its stakeholders (the UP constituent units, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) members, BAC secretariat, and end-users), was launched in the afternoon. This website contains useful information such as procurement manuals, sample technical specifications based on previously awarded projects, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that provide users with workflow and detailed instructions.
According to Atty. Flor “Rissa” Ofilada, Director of the UPPO, the hub aims to “streamline and harmonize the procurement process, maximize the utilization of human and institutional resources, and create a collaborative and engaging environment for the office and the University.” She explained that the website contains information that can be accessed by the public and contents that are accessible only to authorized UP personnel. The website users are assisted through self-explanatory documents available in the hub while promoting economy and efficiency in government transactions.
The conference culminated with a cocktail party featuring performances by the UPPO Band.
