Section 3Sec./Art. 3

Governing Principles on Government Procurement. - Procurement by all branches and instrumentalities of the national government, its departments, bureaus, offices and agencies, including state universities and colleges (SUCs), government-owned and/or -controlled corporations (GOCCs), government financial institutions (GFIs), and local government units (LGUs), shall, in all cases, be governed by these principles:

(a) Transparency in the procurement process by providing access to all related information in accordance with open contracting practice that enables the disclosure of data and facilities information sharing related to all stages of procurement;

(b) Competitiveness through ensuring equal opportunity for all eligible and qualified suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, contractors, consultants, and service providers;

(c) Efficiency by implementing an organized, uniform, and straightforward government procurement process through the use of emerging technologies and innovative solutions;

(d) Proportionality bu ensuring that the conditions and parameters in the development of requirements, choice of procurement modality, and implementation of contracts shall be reasonably proportional to the needs of the Procuring Entity and the nature of the contract or project to be procured;

(e) Accountability where all public officials and personnel directly or indirectly involved in the procurement process and in the implementation of contracts are investigated and held accountable for their actions when necessary;

(f) Participatory procurement through public monitoring of the procurement process and the implementation of contracts to guarantee that every step is in accordance with the provisions of this Act and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR), and to ensure prudent and judicious use of government resources;

(g) Sustainability in the procurement process which covers the whole lifecycle of a property, ensures value for money and maximum benefits to society and the economy, and engenders minimal impact to the environment; and

(h) Professionalism in procurement through the development of qualification standards, a competency and certification framework, and a code of ethics that shall be observed by public procurement professionals.