DPWH to livestream biddings for projects

MANILA, Philippines — Public Works Secretary Mark Villar has ordered the livestreaming of biddings for infrastructure contracts to comply with President Duterte’s order to all agencies to post all information on procurement processes online.

In his Department Order No. 105-2020 released on Sunday, Villar said official meetings related to procurement should be broadcast via official websites and social media platforms “to avoid irregularities.”

“[Implementing offices] shall broadcast livestream, via their official websites and/or social media platform, the procurement process, whenever the relevant committee/body is required to convene/meet,” Villar said.

He said authorized observers should be allowed to monitor the procurement proceedings online.

Villar also told implementing offices to post on their official websites or social media platforms, or both, the details of the awarded contract such as the project name, approved budget, contract period, name and address of the winning bidder, amount of contract awarded, date of award and acceptance, and the implementing office.

Details of contracts worth at least P50 million should also be published in a newspaper.

Since September, contractors have been allowed to submit bids by email.