Ben Madilynn
DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara has issued an order that aims to fast-track the procurement of goods and services, including textbooks, learning tools, and infrastructure projects for 2025.
In a statement on Monday, September 23, 2024, the agency said Angara signed DepEd Memorandum 049 series of 2024, mandating Early Procurement Activities (EPA) to ensure contracts for goods, infrastructure projects, and consulting services are awarded ahead of the following fiscal year.
“We are making every effort to improve our procurement process and accelerate its pace,” he said.
The EPA covers all DepEd governance levels, as well as all procurement stages — from posting opportunities to the recommendation of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) to the Head of Procuring Entities (HoPE) — pending budget approval.
The DepEd said it also applies to procurement projects via Competitive Bidding and Alternative Methods, excluding certain exceptions such as repeat orders, emergency cases, and small-value procurements.
The DepEd Central Office will focus on high-priority projects, including textbooks, e-Learning Cart packages, testing materials, and learning tools and equipment, while Regional and Schools Division Offices (ROs and SDOs) will also conduct EPA for their respective projects, including those overseen by the head office such as smart-TV packages, laptops, school furniture, electrification projects, school health facilities, and the construction of last-mile school buildings.
The bidding process will start in October 2024, with contracts expected to be awarded and Notices to Proceed issued by January 2025. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
