DTI joins green procurement program

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) joins other government agencies in signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Green Public Procurement to ensure that government agencies follow an eco-friendly supply chain.

As head of the National Ecolabelling Program (NELP), DTI was included in the pilot batch of agencies which will undergo institutional capacity-building and preparation for the Green Procurement Program.

Other government agencies which signed the MOU to join the pilot batch of the Green Procurement Program are: the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and the Quezon City local government.

The project aims to develop the knowledge and skills of government offices on Green Procurement, integrate the green public procurement policy model to existing government procurement programs, and develop guidelines among procurement entities in the establishment of their green procurement programs.

The training for the pilot batch will run for five months. Technical meetings on the project started this month. According to PCEPSDI, once the pilot project is successfully implemented, it will be replicated to other agencies by batch.

The project is a joint effort by the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Inc. (PCEPSDI), the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) and the International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN) based in Tokyo, Japan. These agencies will provide the capacity-building and technical assistance in the implementation of the project.

DTI Undersecretary Zenaida C. Maglaya urged her fellow government officials to support green procurement.