The Procurement Service (PS) of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Tuesday launched an enhanced data portal aimed at promoting transparency in government procurement.

In a ceremony at the DBM central office in San Miguel, Manila, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the modernized Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (mPhilGEPS) open data portal will make procurement activities more accessible to the public from pre-procurement to the awarding phase.

“With this launch, we’re taking open governance a step further by making procurement information more accessible and transparent, empowering our oversight agencies, civil society, researchers, and the public to engage and hold the system accountable,” Pangandaman said.

She added that the enhanced portal features user-friendly dashboards and visualization tools that reflect data on procurement platforms such as the e-market place, virtual store and the e-bidding facility.

Other key features of the mPhilGEPS open data portal include search and filter functions; downloadable and machine-readable datasets; and a feedback facility for suggestions and recommendations.

Pangandaman said transparency in public information enables everyone to track how public funds are spent in real time.

“Data of government agencies, merchants and observers, as well as the Bid Notices and Awards, are likewise showcased. Ibig sabihin, buong bituka ng procurement process, makikita po ng publiko (Meaning, the public can access everything about procurement process),” she said.

Pangandaman said the initiative will allow the public to see whether there is fair competition, identify possible irregularities, and assess the implementation of government projects.

“This also makes procurement more efficient as we will be able to identify patterns, mitigate red flags and evaluate performance in awarded contracts. Improved data availability and accessibility also result in multistakeholder engagements for research monitoring and analysis, ultimately geared towards data-driven policy reform,” she said.

“Designed as a transparency tool, the enhanced Open Data Portal of the PS-DBM PhilGEPS reflects our meaningful progress in open governance through public procurement,” Pangandaman added.

Pangandaman urged everyone to be “champions of open government” and help the government uphold the integrity of the procurement process under a Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines). (PNA)