Honorable Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin; 

Fellow ministers from around the world and colleagues in the Philippine Government;  

Our distinguished development partners from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and Asian Infrastructure Bank;  

Procurement champions and esteemed delegates from East Asia and the Pacific;  

Good morning!    

Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.    

Welcome to the East Asia and the Pacific International Public Procurement Conference (EAP IPPC) 2025!  

We are deeply grateful to the World Bank for the opportunity to host the second EAP IPPC—a conference that we’ve rigorously planned for, ensuring that this will raise the bar and be second to none.  

As you will see at this conference, the Philippines, under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., is determined to be a frontrunner in advancing procurement reforms. Hence, less than two years into this Administration, we passed the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), a game-changer that updated our Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) and has been hailed as the biggest anti-corruption measure in the country’s recent history. 

I am proud to share that the NGPA has laid the foundation for a procurement system that is transparent, accountable, efficient, and inclusive. As I mentioned at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Leaders’ Roundtable on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last year, the NGPA is not only about improving government efficiency but equally upholding the principles of the OGP as it introduces internationally recommended practices such as disclosure of beneficial ownership information, open contracting, and participatory procurement—measures that significantly combat corruption. 

The NGPA likewise leverages digital technology, primarily through the electronic or eMarketplace where procuring entities can just “Add to Cart” essential goods and services, ensuring timely and cost-effective transactions.  

Of course, procurement reforms like these are only possible because of our dedicated champions, such as our colleagues from the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) and the Procurement Service (PS) of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and of course, my DBM family, as well as our legislators. 

My hope is that through our collective resolve, our procurement reforms translate into triumph for our people—from farmers who can sooner provide food for school feeding programs, to small businesses that can sooner win government contracts, to women-led enterprises that are given the opportunity to compete and thereby uplift their communities.  

So, at this three-day conference, let us exchange groundbreaking ideas, forge meaningful partnerships, and, most importantly, create an impact that will ripple far beyond these halls. 

As we here in the Philippines have learned, we all win when we make procurement a key strategy in our Agenda for Prosperity.  

Mabuhay! Thank you very much!  

Wabillahi Tawfiq Wal Hidaya, Wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.   

END