The Government Procurement Law (RA 9184) And Its IRR: Flaws on the Compliance Based on the Observations in the Procurement Bidding Process by the Employees of the Philippine Center for Postharvest and Mechanization Development (PHilMech)

Abstract

It has been stated repeatedly that delays in government spending in the past have been caused, in part, by problems with procurement. The PHilMech Budget has been citing procurement as an excuse for underspending for many years. The cumulative disbursement outcome for 2019 was lower than the programmed spending for the year by approximately Php 48 million, or about 23% of utilization in the Regular fund, and by approximately 9 million, or about 9% in the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. Although not all of the savings result from underspending (i.e., about 21% of the amount is attributable to a combination of greater interest payment savings and net lending, which reflects prudent debt management by the government), the majority is reflected as a decline in agency performance in disbursements and budget utilization. The problem of procurement management delays in PHilMech has been enormous. Its effects were so profound that it frequently slows down the execution of strategic planning. This essay examines the management and procurement law flaws that contributed to the delays in the PHilMech projects' implementation. The analysis's findings showed that poor management, ineffective planning and scheduling, and cash flow and financial difficulties faced by management were the major issues that contributed to delays. Several actions are suggested.