The Philippine government is set to sign a data-sharing agreement to promote transparency in the procurement process, the Department of Budget and Management announced Tuesday.

The DBM said the Government Procurement Policy Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission will sign the data-sharing agreement on Wednesday. It is the last day of the two-day validation exercise and culminating activity for the pilot test on the use of the revised Procurement Reports.

"The agreement seeks to promote transparency and improve the process of validating the bidder's qualification in the government procurement," the DBM said.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman described the information exchange deal between the GPPB and SEC as a "game-changer."

"Indeed, the implementation of the revised Procurement Reports and the Data Sharing Agreement with SEC will be a game-changer not only in the field of planning and monitoring but in the procurement operations as a whole," said Pangandaman, who also serves as GPPB chairperson.

The GPPB, an independent inter-agency body created under Republic Act 9184, operates to protect the national interest in all matters affecting public procurement.

The SEC, meanwhile, serves as the registrar and overseer of the Philippine corporate sector.

It oversees over 600,000 active corporations and evaluates the financial statements filed by all corporations registered with it.

The DBM, along with GPPB, commenced on Tuesday the validation exercise and culminating activity for the pilot test on the use of the revised procurement.

DBM said the event serves as a venue for clarification, bridging gaps, and further improvement of the Procurement Reports in preparation for the planned automation.

Pangandaman said the activity affirms the DBM's commitment to improve the procurement process and pursue e-governance as it moves closer to the finalization of the revised Procurement Reports.

"Our shared efforts in this endeavor signify our firm belief and stance that the conduct of proper procurement should be guided by bureaucratic efficiency, transparency, and service to the people," she said.

Early this year, the GPBB approved the pilot test of the revised Procurement Reports as an initial step towards the shift to digitalization, a move that would help ensure that Procuring Entities would get complete and vital information.

The DBM said the automated Procurement Reports will provide a "clear and real-time" picture of the PE's procurement performance by generating diagnostics that would "help it adjust and set priority action plans for improvement."

GPPB Executive Director Rowena Candace Ruiz said the two-day activity would help realize the government's bid for a "more agile and responsive" public procurement system, "one that leverages the use of data analytics to better inform our procurement planning and enhance procurement efficiency in government."