House okays green public procurement bill

Voting 231-0, the chamber approved House Bill 6954, otherwise known as the Green Public Procurement Act, which aims to promote the culture of making green, sustainable, and informed decisions in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government through sustainable production and consumption. (File Photo: House of Representatives/Facebook)

MANILA – The House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved on third and final reading a measure establishing a green public procurement program for all branches of government.

Voting 231-0, the chamber approved House Bill 6954, otherwise known as the Green Public Procurement Act, which aims to promote the culture of making green, sustainable, and informed decisions in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government through sustainable production and consumption.

This bill is consistent with the country’s commitment to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafurte Jr., the principal author of the bill, said the proposal also supports the 12th Sustainable Development Goal, which is “Sustainable Consumption and Production” that encourages the government departments, bureaus, and agencies to procure goods with reduced damage to the environment.

Villafuerte said the GPP is contributing to sustainable development and the intention of the bill is just to set up a green program.

“We are encouraging all agencies, and I believe that the Philippines should be a prime mover of this policy and such should be integrated into the government procurement process,” Villafuerte said.

Under the measure, the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) shall be mandated to design and conduct capability-building programs for all concerned procuring entities as well as green product suppliers.

The bill also mandates the verification of the compliance of goods or items being procured with the green criteria established by the GPPB.