INTRODUCTION

GEOGRAPHY

Bulacan is one of the 81 provinces in the Philippines and among the

7 provinces in Central Luzon. It has 5 congressional districts with
the City of San Jose del Monte as lone district and is comprised of 21
municipalities and 3 cities (Malolos, the capital; Meycauayan and
San Jose del Monte). Over-all, there are 569 barangays in the
province.

The City of San Jose del Monte has the most number of barangays
totalling to 59 followed by the City of Malolos with 51 barangays.
The municipality of DRT has the least number of barangays with only
8.
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 Bulacan boasts of its strategic location wherein it lies equidistant
with the northern and southern parts of Luzon. At the same time, it
is proximate and accessible to the National Capital Region (NCR) or
Metro Manila where most of the development impulses originate.
Bulacan is one of the seven (7) provinces comprising the Central
Luzon Region and dubbed as the “Gateway to the North". Bulacan
links Metro Manila to the resource-rich provinces of Central and
Northern Luzon.

The Province of Bulacan covers a total land area of 2,783.69 square

meters, 47th among all the provinces in the country and represents
12.71 percent of the total land area of Region III. The biggest
municipality is Doña Remedios Trinidad (DRT) which constitutes
almost 1/3 (33.52 percent or 932.96 sq.m). Norzagaray occupies the
second largest area with 309.77 or 11.13 percent of the province’s
total area while Guiguinto, being the smallest town, covers an area
of 27.50 square meter or 0.99 percent of Bulacan’s total land area.

DEMOGRAPHY

Based on the 2015 Census of Population and Housing, Bulacan

registered a total population of 3,292,071, the largest province in
terms of population in Central Luzon and second largest among all
provinces in the country. It shares 29.35 percent of the regional
population (11,218,177) and 3.26 percent of the national total
population (100,981,437). This means that about 3 in every 100
Filipinos are Bulakeños. With the density of 1,183 persons per
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 square kilometer, Bulacan second among other provinces in Region
III, next to Pampanga.

Between 2010 and 2015, its population grew at 2.28 percent, faster
than the 1.95 percent growth rate of the region and 1.72 percent of
the country.

The City of San Jose Del Monte had remained to have the largest
population while the Municipality of Pandi recorded the highest
percent increase in population from 2010 to 2015 with almost 34
percent. This may be attributed to the relocation sites established in
the area. In addition, municipalities of Marilao and Santa Maria also
have high percent increase in population from 2010-2015 with 19.58
and 17.45 percent, respectively. The increase in population is
attributed to the continuous influx of new economic activities, like
the existence SM Marilao that attracts migration.

Bulacan has a young population. Census of Population in 2015

showed that more than 35 percent of its population are children
with a median age of 25 years old, which means that half of the
population was below 25 years old. Conversely, the sex ratio is
almost equal with 99 females for every 100 males.

The proportion of household population in the working-age group (15

to 64 years) was 66 percent; young dependents (0 to 14 years) at 29
percent; and old dependents (65 years and over) at 5 percent.
Accordingly, the overall dependency ratio was 51, which means that
for every 100 persons in the working-age group, there were 51
dependents (45 young dependents and 7 old dependents).

THE LOCAL ECONOMY

Bulacan is also a major producer of vegetables, aquaculture, poultry

and livestock based on the 2016 data from the Bureau of Agricultural
Statistics Bulacan produces more than 360,000 MT of palay, more
than 600 MT of coffee and more than 100,000 metric tons of other
crops. Bulacan produces almost 60% of the volume of hog
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production in Central Luzon.

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 Bulacan is dubbed as the MSMEs Capital of Central Luzon for its
over 43,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Among the
major industries in the province are pyrotechnics, jewelry, furniture,
garments, and sweets and native delicacies. Accordingly, based on
the records of the Business Permit and Licensing Office of the LGUs,
there were more than 6,600 new businesses established and more
than 36,700 businesses renewed in 2016.

From 2015 to 2016, the number of registered cooperatives has

increased from 731 to 741. The combined total asset of the
cooperatives in Bulacan was 12.81 billion pesos in 2016 that
tagged Bulacan as the Cooperative Capital of the Philippines.

THE SOCIETY

The quality of life in Bulacan is considered to be one of the best in

the nation. In 2012, Bulacan is the 8th highest in Human
Development Index (HDI) among the provinces in the Philippines and
3rd highest in Region 3 at 0.705. HDI attempts to measure the
complex concept of human development by tracking the progress of
three selected aspects of human life such as life expectancy; weighted
average of functional literacy and combined elementary and
secondary net enrolment rate; and real per capita income. As one of
the best performing provinces in HDI, Bulacan was recognized by the
United Nations Development Programme and awarded with the
Gawad sa Makataong Pag-Unlad Para sa mga Lalawigang May
Mataas na Kaunlarang Pantao in 2009.

Further, Bulacan also consistently ranked as one of the ten least

poor areas in the country. Data from the 2015 Official Poverty
Statistics of the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB)
(which is conducted every 3 years) showed that Bulacan ranked 5th
least poor province in the Philippines with 3.3 poverty incidence.
Bulacan’s poverty incidence has decreased by 2.1 percentage points
from its 2012 poverty incidence of 5.4 and went up in the ranks
from being 6th to 5th among the provinces in the country. The
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estimate for 2015 is lower than the 2012 poverty incidence figure (2.1
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 percentage points) which translates into 36 percent decrease in the
number of poor families in Bulacan from 38,103 in 2012 to 24,359
families in 2015.

THE ENVIRONMENT

The topography of the province ranges from level to rugged terrain.

The western portion has been classified as belonging to the lowland
category with an approximate coverage of close to 50 percent of the
provincial land area while the eastern portion is hilly to
mountainous where the province interfaces with the Sierra Madre
Mountain range running from Cagayan province to the southern
part of Luzon in Quezon.

Bulacan has many river systems. One particular system that plays
an important role in the physical configuration and socio-economic
activities of the province is the Angat River which practically divides
the province in half. In the northern portion of the province are two
minor river systems and these are San Miguel and Maasim Rivers.
San Miguel River drains mostly the municipality of San Miguel and
the northern and northeastern most portion of the province. Maasim
River on the other hand, drains not only the southern part of San
Miguel but also portions of the municipality of San Rafael. Down
south of Bulacan are found other minor river systems that provide
special functions to affected municipalities. These river systems
include Santa Maria, Marilao, Meycauayan, Bocaue, Balagtas, and
Guiguinto River.

The climate of the province generally falls under Type I category of

the Philippine Climate Corona Classification with distinct or
pronounced wet and dry seasons. The months of June to November
are considered rainy season period with rainfalls ranging from 1,000
mm to more than 5,000 mm. Rainy season in the province coincides
with the onset of the southwest monsoon, which brings moisture
laden cloud formation from Southwest Asia. Temperature is relatively
constant at 27 degrees centigrade. However, because of the influence
of topography and geomorphology, the eastern portion of the province
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 has a Type IV climate with rainfall evenly distributed throughout the
year.

THE NATURAL RESOURCES

Bulacan has about 74,000 hectares of forest area. The province is

also rich in mineral reserves especially marble. About 32 out of the
60 varieties in the country can be found in Bulacan. Marbleized
limestone, a non-metallic deposit, is considered to be the biggest
mineral resource in Bulacan. About 70 percent of marble blocks used
as raw materials by industrial marble exporters in the Philippines
came mainly in the province, particularly in the
municipalities of San Ildefonso, DRT, San Rafael, San Miguel and
Norzagaray. Another non-metallic deposit that the province has
enough supply is limestone. Cement, toothpaste, paint, fertilizer,
soap, etc. are just some of the by-products of this mineral deposit.
On the other hand, iron ore, a metallic deposit, is also part of the
province resource base. The iron deposit in Bulacan contains 62 to
75 percent iron, which is higher than the international standard
grade of 67 percent. Furthermore, Bulacan supplies the domestic
water requirements of Metro Manila through Angat Dam, which is
also being utilized for power generation.

THE GOVERNMENT

The Provincial Government of Bulacan (PGB) has also become one of

the premier local government units in the Philippines. It has been
recognized as an effective and efficient provider of an enabling
environment. The 2008 Good Governance Index (GGI) released by the
National Statistical Coordination Board reveals that Bulacan scored
8th highest in economic governance index among the provinces in the
country. The GGI and its component indices attempt to measure the
following important dimensions of good governance: (a) sustainable
management of resources through generation of adequate financial
resources and responsiveness to/ alleviation of poverty ( through
EGI) ; (b) rule of law through improvement of internal and external
security, law enforcement and administration of justice ( through
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PGI) ; (c) efficiency of the delivery of services on health, education,

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 and power supply (through AGI); and (d) people’s empowerment
and participation ( through PGI).

Further, based on the annual financial reports of the commission on

audit the Provincial Government has a gross income of 2.99 billion
pesos under the general fund that made Bulacan one of the highest
gross revenue earners in 2014.

In 2016, the PGB has been conferred with ISO 9001:2008

Certification by TUV Rheinland for meeting the required international
standards for the provision of public service to the constituents.
Bulacan is one the first provinces to be ISO Certified in the country.

Bulacan has been awarded the 2016 Seal of Good Local Governance
by the Department of the Interior and Local Government for
exhibiting good performance in internal housekeeping particularly on
the core assessment areas of 1) good financial housekeeping; 2)
disaster preparedness; and 3) social protection.

Also, because of its systematic incorporation of risk reduction

approaches into the development programs in Bulacan, the
provincial government has been given the prestigious Gawad
KALASAG Hall of Fame Award for being the Best PDRRMC for three
consecutive years (2012, 2013, 2014)

VISION STATEMENT OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF

BULACAN

A premier province with a vibrant economy, safe environment,

and strong middle class as the core of the citizenry, where people
have equal access to opportunities and services and are living models
of its historical heritage ane cultural excellence

MISSION STATEMENTS OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF

BULACAN
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 The Provincial Government is committed with respect to its
mandates as prescribed in the Local Government Code of 1991, to
wit:
a. Agricultural extension and on-site research services
and facilities;
b. Industrial research and development services, as well
as transfer of appropriate technology;
c. Enforcement of forestry laws limited to community-
based forestry projects, pollution control law, small-
scale mining law, and other laws on the protection of
the environment;
d. Social welfare services which includes programs and
projects on rebel returnees and evacuees, relief
operations, and population development services;
e. Construction and maintenance of provincial
buildings, provincial jails, freedom parks and public
assembly areas, and other similar facilities;
f. Construction and maintenance of infrastructure
facilities funded by the province to serve the needs of
the residents, including but not limited to (a)
provincial roads and bridges; (b) inter-municipal
waterworks, drainage and sewerage, flood control, and
irrigation systems; and (c) other similar facilities;
g. Planning and implementation of programs and
projects for low-cost housing and other mass
dwellings;
h. Provision for investment support services, including
access to credit financing;
i. Upgrading and modernization of tax information and
collection services through the use of computer
hardware and software and other means;
j. Provision for inter-municipal telecommunication
services, subject to national policy guidelines and
standards; and
k. Planning and implementation of tourism development
and promotion programs.
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 Chapter I: THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

A. THE GOVERNOR:

The Procuring Entity is the Provincial Government of Bulacan.

shall be the province, city and municipality. It shall act through the
Head of the Procuring Entity (HOPE). All procurement activities of the
Provincial Government of Bulacan require the approval of the
Governor.

B. BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC)

1. Creation:

The Governor shall create a single BAC through an Executive

Order that shall facilitate all procurement activities in the Province
of Bulacan. However, separate BACs may be created under any of the
following conditions:

a. The items to be procured are complex or specialized;

b. If the single BAC cannot reasonably manage the procurement
transactions as shown by delays beyond the allowable limits; or
c. If the creation is required according to the nature of the
procurement.

2. Membership and Qualifications:

The Governor shall designate the members of the BAC as

follows:

a. The BAC shall consist of at least five (5) members and shall not
exceed seven (7).
b. The Governor shall designate the members of the BAC, including
the alternates, if any.
c. The BAC members, whether principal or alternate, should occupy
plantilla positions.
d. All members are regular members except the end-user member
who is considered as provisional member. The members, whether
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 regular or provisional, are equally entitled to participate and to vote
during deliberations.

Representatives coming from the regular offices under the

Provincial Government of Bulacan, such as, but not limited to the
following:

1. Office of the Administrator;

2. Budget Office;
3. Legal Office;
4. Planning Office;
5. General Services Office; and
6. Engineering Office; and

And in addition to the above-mentioned members, a

representative from the end-user unit.

The Chairperson shall be at least a third (3rd) ranking official.

3. Terms of Membership

The BAC members shall be designated for a term of one (1) year
only, reckoned from the date of designation. However, the Governor
may renew or terminate such designation at his discretion.
The designation of the BAC members is within the exclusive
prerogative and discretion of the Governor and they may be removed
from such designation for justifiable causes (e.g. gross misconduct
and violation of the provisions of RA 9184 and its IRR, among others).

In case of resignation, retirement, separation, transfer, re-

assignment, or removal of a BAC member, the Governor shall
designate a replacement that has similar qualifications as the official
replaced. The replacement shall serve for the unexpired term. In case
of leave or suspension, the replacement shall serve only for the
duration of the leave or suspension.

Upon expiration of the terms of the current members, they shall

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continue to exercise their functions until new BAC members are

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 4. Quorum

The simple majority (one-half of membership plus one) of the

BAC members shall constitute a quorum, provided that the
Chairperson or the Vice Chairperson should be present in all
meetings and deliberations.

Physical presence of the Chairperson or the Vice Chairperson is

necessary for the BAC to conduct its business. The Chairperson or,
in his absence, the ViceChairperson shall preside over the meetings.
The Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson, acting as the Presiding
Officer shall vote only in case of a tie.

Presence of alternate BAC members in BAC meetings are

considered for purposes of quorum. On the other hand,
representatives of BAC members shall be allowed to sit and listen
during BAC meetings but they shall not be considered for purposes
of quorum.

All BAC decisions should be embodied in resolutions duly

signed by at least a majority of the members and the Chairperson or
Vice-Chairperson thereof, as the case may be.

C. BAC SECRETARIAT

1. Creation :

The Governor shall create a permanent BAC Secretariat through

and Executive Order to ensure an orderly management of
procurement actions and records, and to facilitate the continuity and
the professionalization of procurement functions.

The Governor shall create a new office or designate an existing

organic office to act as BAC Secretariat.

In designating an already existing office as BAC Secretariat, the

Governor shall consider homogeneity or similarity of functions (i.e.
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also carrying out procurement functions) and the availability of

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 resources, in terms of personnel and the capacity to absorb
additional responsibilities on top of regular office functions.

2. Qualifications:

The Governor shall consider the following factors, among

others, in selecting the personnel who will be assigned to the BAC
Secretariat:
a. Integrity;
b. Procurement proficiency, as shown by experience and
trainings attended;
c. Satisfactory completion of a certification program
conducted by the GPPB or its accredited institutions, if any;
d. The appropriate Civil Service qualification and
competency standards;
e. The head of the BAC Secretariat should be:
e.1. A third (3rd) ranking permanent employee, which should
be at least a Section chief; or
e.2. A permanent official of the next lower rank, if the third
(3rd) ranking permanent employee is not available.

D. TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP (TWG)

1. Creation:

The BAC may create a TWG from a pool of technical, financial

and/or legal experts to assist in the procurement process,
particularly in the eligibility screening, evaluation of bids and post-
qualification.

The BAC has the discretion as to the number of TWG members

to be designated.

To be able to effectively study the requirements and assist in

the evaluation the bids submitted, the BAC may create separate
TWGs to handle different procurements (e.g. Goods, Infrastructure
Projects, Consulting Services, or according to the nature of the
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procurement undertaking and the field of expertise required).

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 2. Qualifications of Members:

The BAC shall consider the expertise required based on the

nature of the procurement. It is recommended that the TWG
members include representative(s) of the end-user unit and experts
in various disciplines, such as, but not limited to, the legal, technical
and financial areas, who can handle the different aspects of the
procurement at hand. These members should ensure that the bid
documents properly reflect the requirements of the LGU, and the bids
submitted will be rigorously evaluated.

With regard to the Head of the TWG, it is proposed that the LCE
designates the LGU Treasurer as Head of the TWG.

The IRR of RA 9184 allows the inclusion of technical, financial,

and/or legal experts other than those in the LGU concerned.
In some cases, the LGU may engage the assistance of government
personnel and officials, and consultants from the private sector and
academe with proven expertise on the sourcing of the goods, works
or consulting services to be procured in accordance with the IRR and
this Manual.

They shall only serve in an advisory capacity, and may not vote
during deliberations.

E. OBSERVERS

1. Issuing the invitation:

To enhance the transparency of the process, at least three (3) days

before the scheduled procurement activity, the BAC is required to
invite observers who may attend and observe all stages of the
procurement process. An organization or association of good
reputation preferably within the locality may also be invited at least
three (3) days before the scheduled procurement activity. The
observers represent the public and the taxpayers who are interested
in seeing to it that procurement laws and rules are observed and
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irregularities are averted. However, non-attendance of observers does

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 not invalidate the proceedings as long as the observers were properly
invited and notified in writing of the scheduled procurement activity.

Chapter II: BENEFITS FOR BAC, TWG AND SECRETARIAT:

1. Grant of Honoraria:

The Provincial Government of Bulacan shall grant honoraria to

the members of the BAC, the TWG, and the BAC Secretariat
provided the amount so granted does not exceed twenty-five percent
(25%) of their respective basic monthly salary, subject to the
following conditions:

a. Funds are available for the purpose; and

b. The grant of honoraria conforms to the guidelines
promulgated by the DBM.

2. Legal Assistance and Indemnification Package:

The funds to be used for the grant of the free legal assistance,
liability insurance or medical assistance shall be taken from the
Provincial Government of Bulacan’s appropriation. Protest fees,
proceeds from the sale of bidding documents, and any other
additional funds derived from other income-generating activities of
the Provincial Government of Bulacan may be used to augment the
funds.

2.1 Private Legal Assistance

All the members of the PGB BAC are authorized to engage the
services of private lawyers or external counsel immediately upon
receipt of Court Notice that a civil or criminal action, suit or
proceeding is filed against them in connection with the lawful
performance of their official functions and duties as BAC members.
The lawyer's fee shall be part of the indemnification package for the
BAC members. BAC members shall be understood to include its
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support staff, such as the members of the TWG and the BAC
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Secretariat.
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 2.2 Free Legal Assistance

The Provincial Government of Bulacan shall, to the fullest extent

permitted by the rules, indemnify a BAC member and/or any of the
BAC Support Staff who was or is a party to a pending or completed
action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal or administrative
in nature brought against him by reason of the lawful performance
of his official duties and functions as BAC member or as BAC
Support Staff. In order for a member of the BAC or its Support Staff
to avail of the free legal assistance, the following considerations
must be met:

a. The BAC member or BAC Support Staff concerned must

have engaged the services of a private lawyer or external
counsel.
b. The BAC member or BAC Support Staff must have not been
adjudged as guilty of gross negligence, misconduct, or grave
abuse of discretion.

The free legal assistance shall cover actual cost of suit and
attorney’s fees. The attorney representing the BAC member or BAC
Support Staff shall be entitled to a maximum of Five Thousand
Pesos (Php5,000.00) per appearance which shall be paid by the
Provincial Government of Bulacan.

The free legal assistance can only be availed only in cases where
the Provincial Legal Office can no longer accommodate the case due
to the inability of legal officers caused by heavy case workloads.

Chapter III: PROCUREMENT PLANNING AND BUDGET LINKAGE:

Chapter IV: MODES OF PROCUREMENT:

Chapter V: COMPETITIVE BIDDING AND CONTRACT

IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF GOODS

Chapter VI: COMPETITIVE BIDDING AND CONTRACT

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IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF

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 Chapter VII: COMPETITIVE BIDDING AND CONTRACT
IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF CONSULTING
SERVICES
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