The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has started to livestream its bidding processes to boost the integrity and transparency of the agency’s procurement process.
PPA general manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago explained that the measure is aimed at stamping out corruption in small- and big-ticket procurement projects of the agency.
“In order to maintain the integrity and credibility of the bidding process, the PPA is going live for every bidding process the agency is conducting,” Santiago said in a statement.
“The public can simply log on to our website, www.ppa.com.ph and click Bidding Live Streaming to view, specifically the opening of bids, and help us reduce, if not eliminate, irregular acts during the entire process,” Santiago added.
The new program is similar to the livestreaming of bidding activities initiated by PPA’s mother agency, Department of Transportation, last May.
For PPA, its first livestreaming occurred on June 20 involving the bidding for the proposed Abra De Ilog port project that includes the construction of a reinforced concrete pier, a roll-on/roll-off ramp, and an access trestle. The project duration is one year.
PPA earlier committed to making the agency as transparent and accessible to the public as possible, in accordance with the new work culture being promoted by the current administration.
This year, the total budget for capital expenditure of the agency is pegged at P7.42 billion compared to the P3.50 billion in 2016.
The bigger funding is intended to cover implementation of several port projects that include the modernization of Mindanao and Visayas ports like Iloilo, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga; improvement of all passenger terminal buildings; repair and maintenance projects; and rollout of 14 other projects.
“We believe that involving the public’s eyes during the bidding process is a deterrent to questionable awarding of bids considering the magnitude of the projects,” Santiago said.
