LocationsEU-PH Partnership Strengthens Transparent and Efficient Public Procurement
July 13, 2026
The European Union, Philippine Government representatives, and civil society partners signed a collective commitment to implement the EU-PH Public Procurement Project
Manila, Philippines -- The European Union (EU) and the Philippines’ Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and other key government institutions officially signed a partnership for a new multi-year programme to reinforce transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public procurement systems.
Implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the EU-PH Partnership in Reinforcing Capacity, Transparency, and Efficiency in Public Procurement, will support the realization of the country’s landmark procurement reform measures under the New Government Procurement Act of 2024 (Republic Act No. 12009). Public procurement in the Philippines accounts for approximately 45% of the national budget and directly influences the delivery of vital socio-economic public services.
DBM Secretary Kim Robert de Leon during his Keynote Message
“Under RA 12009, we are transforming procurement from purely an administrative function into a strategic tool for national development,” DBM Secretary Kim Robert de Leon said in his Keynote Message during the project launch. “We believe that this partnership with the European Union will help strengthen institutional capacities, modernize procurement systems, improve transparency, advance open contracting, promote gender-responsive procurement, and empower procurement professionals who serve on the frontlines of government service delivery.”
EU Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Massimo Santoro highlighted the EU’s continued support towards modernized governance processes that promote accountability and foster public trust.
“The New Government Procurement Act means a profound reform, shifting the government towards modern, digital, open, gender-responsive, inclusive procurement processes,” he said. “Strengthening public procurement systems is central to public service delivery, national development, building trust between citizens and the state.”
H.E. Massimo Santoro, European Union Ambassador to the Philippines, delivering his message
The EUR 3.2 million (approximately PHP 220 million) European Union-funded project centers on modernizing public procurement in the Philippines. It will enhance the capabilities of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), the government’s centralized platform that serves as an online portal and marketplace for public procurement, by strengthening data governance, cybersecurity, and citizen monitoring. The project will also increase the Commission on Audit’s capacity to use data analytics for citizen participatory audits.
The initiative also seeks to increase public oversight and strengthen accountability throughout the procurement cycle through stronger citizen participation and civil society engagement.
Over the next two years, and with the programme’s support, partner civil society organizations will analyze procurement data, meaningfully participate in state audits, and monitor procurement activities. Their insights will form concrete policy recommendations and inform enhancements in the current procurement system.
The initiative will work closely with the DBM, the Procurement Service-DBM, the Government Procurement Policy Board, and the Commission on Audit, alongside civil society and private sector partners. Heads of participating agencies and partners affirmed their collective responsibility to collaborate in project implementation through a ceremonial commitment signing during the launch.
UNDP Resident Representative in the Philippines, Christophe Bahuet, during the launch ceremony
“Citizens are more likely to trust their government when public spending is transparent, when rules are applied fairly, and results can be seen and measured,” said UNDP Resident Representative in the Philippines Christophe Bahuet. “Public financial management reform does not happen without a constructive dialogue between civil society, private sector, and government. With the EU’s trust, UNDP actively builds a collaborative space necessary for genuine co-creation and reform.”
By bringing together government institutions, civil society, the private sector, the European Union, the initiative aims to establish a more transparent, efficient, and trusted procurement system that delivers better outcomes for people across the Philippines. [E]
About the Project
The "EU-PH Partnership in Reinforcing Capacity, Transparency, and Efficiency in Public Procurement" is a European Union–funded programme to support public procurement in the Philippines. Implemented by UNDP, this collaborative project seeks to institutionalize the reforms introduced by the New Government Procurement Act in 2024 to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency. The programme focuses on the modernization of public procurement through the adoption of international standards on the publication of procurement data -- allowing for more transparency and control -- and theintegration of participatory practices such as civil society’s role as observers in public procurement processes, to ensure the best value for public funds. Through these efforts, the project contributes to strengthening internal capacity of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) and advancing the Philippine’s anti-corruption and good governance agenda.
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