Two mobility suppliers, Toyota Motor Philippines and Cross Country Motors, have joined the bandwagon of companies offering essential goods and services to the government’s online trading space.
Also called the “add to cart” project, the eMarketplace has generated 86 orders from various companies since it was activated last year. Most of these orders are for multipurpose vehicles and passenger vans, which Toyota and Cross Country Motors will supply.
According to Procurement Service executive director Genmaries Entredicho-Caong of the Department of Budget and Management, motor vehicles have been included in the order menu because they are essential to government operations, which require constant mobility.
Caong said during the East Asia and the Pacific International Public Procurement Conference on Monday that agencies with approved authority to purchase motor vehicles have the first crack at meeting their requirements through the eMarketplace.
A component of a law enacted in July last year, the eMarketplace is an online platform designed to upgrade and streamline procurement. It allows agencies to pre-order and “add to cart” essential goods and services, ensuring timely delivery at reduced cost.
Caong said the government has saved around P10 million from procuring motor vehicles via the eMarketplace.
“That’s the difference between the price of motor vehicles in the eMarketplace versus the market price,” Caong said.
This is the primary reason the DBM encourages more merchants to come in, since many other agencies look for brands that the agency has yet to include in its offering.
After its expansion, the eMarketplace menu will soon include other services, such as cloud computing, airline tickets, and software licenses.
It will also add information and communications technology equipment and other office supplies such as printers, inks, and paper products.
The eMarketplace is one component of the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), which seeks to modernize and augment public procurement processes in the country by addressing loopholes and inefficiencies.
The NGPA was signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on July 20, 2024.
