Requesting Entity: National Food Authority-Food Development Center (FDC)

Issues Concern: Small Value Procurement

Details

Whether the FDC can automatically adopt Small Value Procurement for the first time by sending Requests for Quotation for items Php 50,000 and below, and if not, what method of procurement should be used for the immediate purchase of chemical, reagents, media, and standards needed to render technical assistance to the food industry through various analytical offered by its laboratories.

[S]mall Value Procurement is allowed where the procurement does not fall under Shopping in Section 52 of the IRR, and the amount of the procurement must be within the threshold amount prescribed under Annex “H” of the IRR, subject to the procedural requirements under the Guidelines for Shopping and Small Value Procurement.

If the chemicals, reagents, media, and standards to be purchased can be considered as “ordinary or regular office supplies” not available in the Procurement Service, then the alternative method of Shopping can be used subject to the prescribed thresholds and guidelines. xxx

As the nature of FDC’s operation involves rendering technical assistance to the food industry through various analytical services offered by its laboratories, it appears that the chemicals, reagents, media, and standards can be considered as “ordinary or regular office supplies.” As such, these items should be included in the Electronic Catalogue of the PhilGEPS and purchased from the PS-DBM pursuant to Section 53.5 of the IRR.

In case such items are not available from the PS-DBM, FDC may procure it by way of competitive bidding or Shopping under Section 52.1 (b) of the IRR. It goes without saying that since the items mentioned can be considered ordinary or regular office supplies, resort to Small Value Procurement for its acquisition may not be made.