To help MSMEs expand their market access through Business to Government (B2G) transactions, the Department of Trade and Industry Region 2 conducted an orientation on the Philippines Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) for the MSMEs in the region, held via Zoom on March 31, 2023.
This was geared to familiarize MSMEs with the importance of PhilGEPS registration and membership for them to participate in various government procurement opportunities such as the Buy Local Advocacy of DTI R2, which has institutionalized the prioritization of local MSME products and services in government procurement through a set-aside scheme of at least 10% of their total procurement value.
Mr. Ramil Garcia, Chief of SME Development Division, shared the trailblazing initiative of the agency in coming up with the Buy Local Advocacy and emphasized the importance of having a PhilGEPS-registration as one of the requirements to take advantage of the opportunity it offers and to become a permanent supplier of government procurement. He also expressed the commitment of the agency to handhold the MSMEs along the way in the registration process.
During the session, the MSMEs in the food and non-food sectors learned the overview of PhilGEPs, its usage in transacting business with the government, and the benefits of B2G transactions, which were thoroughly explained by Mr. Reynaldo Villon, Senior Budget and Management Specialist from the Department of Budget and Management.
Mr. Villon also provided a simulation of the step-by-step registration process.
More than 200 attendees, composed of MSMEs, business counselors, officers, and staff from DTI R2, and LGUs, took part in the activity.
Date of release: 03 April 2023
