The Government Procurement Policy Board – Technical Support Office (GPPB-TSO) visited the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 28 May 2026 for a learning session on Merit Point Criteria (MPC), as part of its continuing policy development work on the award criteria introduced under Republic Act No. 12009, or the New Government Procurement Act.
The discussion focused on how ADB applies Merit Point Criteria in bid evaluation, particularly in assessing both price and non-price attributes to determine the most advantageous procurement outcome. The session provided valuable insights for GPPB-TSO’s ongoing work on the guidelines for the Most Economically Advantageous Responsive Bid (MEARB) and the Most Advantageous Responsive Bid (MARB).
Representing GPPB-TSO were Officer-in-Charge Sofia C. Yanto-Abad, Deputy Director General Atty. Ma. Jozzenne Claire Beltran-Carandang, Atty. Elena Liliosa Escober, Atty. Fritz Turqueza, Atty. Katrina Margarita Lopez, Atty. Christine Paciencia, Atty. Shann Tanaka-Montefrio, Maria Lora Alvarez-Hortillas, Renlay Concha, Cheng Bigay, and Jeannie Rose Maraya.
They were joined by representatives from ADB’s Procurement, Portfolio, and Financial Management Department (PPFD), namely Sina Velioglu, Mikaella Jazmine A. De Guzman, Prasath Sanjeewa, and Masayuki Omote.
Through this engagement, GPPB-TSO continues to benchmark international good practices and strengthen the development of practical, transparent, and fit-for-purpose guidelines that will help procuring entities apply MEARB and MARB in a manner that promotes quality, value for money, fairness, and accountability in public procurement.
ADB’s guidance on Merit Point Criteria emphasizes the importance of balancing cost, quality, sustainability, technical merit, and long-term project outcomes in procurement evaluation.
NGPAReady #MeritPointCriteria #MEARB #MARB
