THE Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) is preparing to expand its eMarketplace catalog to include laptops, fire trucks and ambulances in its bid to help government agencies generate savings amid the energy crisis.
PS-DBM Executive Director Genmaries Entredicho-Caong told reporters that the government’s central purchasing agent will onboard more common-use supplies and equipment (CSE) and motor vehicles to its online procurement platform.
Specialized vehicles, such as fire trucks and ambulances, are being considered for inclusion in the lineup of multi-purpose vehicles, passenger and utility vans and mini buses available in the eMarketplace, Entredicho-Caong said.
Fire trucks are already part of PS-DBM’s market study following a request from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
Entredicho-Caong said the PS-DBM seeks to onboard fire trucks within the year, while ambulances are expected to follow due to growing demand from local government units.
The PS-DBM is also preparing to relaunch laptops on the eMarketplace after suspending procurement of the items following the Department of Education’s procurement of overpriced laptops, added the PS-DBM official.
She said the agency has reviewed its specifications and pricing guidelines to ensure that future procurements offer better value for money. Laptops could return to the platform as early as June.
Due to the energy crisis, PS-DBM is also targeting to onboard more alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), such as electric, hybrid and battery-operated vehicles, Entredicho-Caong said.
The agency has included electric vehicles from Cross Country Motors Inc., Foton, and Mobility Access Philippines Ventures Inc., the distributor of BYD vehicles in the country, last May. Offerings from Kia and VinFast are still under evaluation for inclusion in the eMarketplace.
‘If more green products are available in the PS-DBM catalog, agencies will see them as viable options and may purchase them instead of conducting separate procurement,’ Entredicho-Caong said.
Centralized procurement enables the government to secure lower prices through bulk purchasing.
‘Our prices are typically 32 percent to 40 percent lower than market prices,’ Entredicho-Caong said, noting that the government saved around P711 million in 2020. ‘This demonstrates the benefits of bulk procurement.’