Anchored on the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) mandate to protect consumers from hazards to health and safety, the Consumer Protection Division and Legal Unit of DTI-Region 2 conducted the webinar “Integrating Product Standards in Government Procurement” on 27 April 2021 and 4 May 2021. The pool of participants gathered from the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and Technical Working Group (TWG) of various national government agencies and local government units from the region.

In her opening remarks, Regional Director Leah Pulido Ocampo made an impact when she stressed the importance of product standards and the necessity of integrating them in the stringent procurement process in the government. She said, “As procurement entities and end-users, it is our responsibility to ensure that the goods we purchase are of the standard that will ultimately be advantageous to the government. As the government, the initiative should emanate from us, we should practice what we preach or walk the talk. . . we should patronize products bearing the standards seal. By so doing, we don’t only abide by the spirit of the law but we also practice what is right and prudent as government procurement officers.”

This initiative was perfected by complementary lectures on the preparation of technical specifications by Mr. Reynaldo R. Villon from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and an introduction to the Philippine National Standards and the mandatory certification schemes by Engr. Ariel Q. Deinla, Engr. Jacqueline T. Agarpao, and Engr. Avelino T. Molina Jr. of the Bureau of Philippine Standard (BPS).

Despite the absence of an express provision on the Procurement Law, Mr. Villon repeatedly emphasized the responsibility of the end-users and the BAC to ensure that the products and services sought to be procured are not only compliant with the technical specifications prepared. These products and services must have also passed through third-party safety and quality certifications such as the mandatory certification schemes by the BPS.

Furthermore, Engr. Deinla, Engr. Agarpao, and Engr. Molina gave comprehensive discussions on the development of standards, the 88 products covered by technical regulations, the intricacies of the certification schemes, and the labels and markings attached to products that prove satisfaction with the set standards.

A total of 221 attendees joined the conference via Zoom. The webinar was simultaneously streamed live on the Facebook Group composed of 143 members.♦

Date of Release: 7 May 2021