THE Cebu Provincial Government will livestream all competitive bidding processes under a new executive order designed to boost transparency and accountability.
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro issued Executive Order (EO) 37, which the Provincial Board approved during its regular session Monday, Aug. 4, 2025.
The directive, issued last July 28, mandates the Province’s bids and awards committees (BAC) with these requirements:
Mandatory livestreaming: All procurement conferences for competitive bidding must be livestreamed. This includes pre-procurement conferences, pre-bid conferences and bid openings.
Publication of information: Implementing offices and the Provincial Information Office must publish procurement details on official websites and social media. Required information includes project names, approved contract budgets, winning bidder names, contract amounts and award dates.
High-value projects: Contracts with approved budgets of P50 million and above require post-award information published in newspapers of general circulation, plus online posting.
Video recording and storage: Republic Act 12009 (the New Government Procurement Act) mandates video recording for projects meeting specific budget thresholds: P10 million for goods, P20 million for infrastructure projects and P5 million for consulting services. Recordings must be stored for at least five years.
Blacklisting report: The Government Procurement Policy Board’s consolidated blacklisting report must be published on implementing offices’ official websites and social media. Reports must specify how many times a person or entity was blacklisted and list offenses committed.
Provincial Administrator Joseph “Ace” Durano said on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, that the policy is “a clear move toward greater transparency.”
He said people not physically present at the BAC office can watch the proceedings. Mainstream media may cover events live if they don’t disrupt the process.
The EO sets strict penalties for violations. Non-compliance becomes grounds for administrative action against public officials or employees.
All procurement documents remain open to the public unless law or jurisprudence deems them confidential. / CDF