PhilGEPS is the single, centralized electronic portal and the primary/definitive source of Philippine government procurement information, operated by PS-DBM under GPPB policy. Suppliers create a merchant account and register for free Red Membership; to bid in competitive bidding and receive the PhilGEPS Certificate of Registration they must upgrade to paid Platinum Membership (about PHP 5,000/yr) by uploading consolidated Class A eligibility documents. Foreign companies CAN create an account and register, and may submit home-country business-registration documents in English. However, actual eligibility to be AWARDED contracts is heavily RESTRICTED in favor of Filipino/domestic bidders. Government procurement is now governed by Republic Act No. 12009, the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), signed 30 July 2024, and its IRR issued 10 February 2025 (repealing/replacing the old RA 9184). The IRR generally retained the long-standing requirement that eligible bidders for goods, infrastructure projects and consulting services be Filipino citizens or entities at least 60% Filipino-owned, with foreign participation confined to defined exceptions (treaty/international agreement, reciprocity, no local supply/quality, or to prevent restraint of trade); plus a Tatak Pinoy 10-year domestic-preference mandate for covered Philippine products running to roughly 2034.
Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS)
Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), which operates PhilGEPS; procurement policy is set by the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB)
Foreign companies eligibleNo local entity required to bid
Restricted, not open. A foreign company CAN create a PhilGEPS supplier account and register on the portal, and a local Philippine entity is NOT strictly required merely to REGISTER (PhilGEPS provides a foreign-supplier document path accepting home-country registration documents in English). BUT eligibility to actually be AWARDED a Philippine government contract is heavily restricted in favor of Filipinos. The IRR of RA 12009 generally RETAINED the long-standing qualification that eligible bidders for the procurement of goods, infrastructure projects and consulting services must be Filipino citizens or organizations of which at least sixty percent (60%) of the interest or outstanding capital stock belongs to Filipino citizens (IRR Sections 23.4.1.2 (Goods), 23.4.2.2 (Infrastructure), 24.3.3 (Consulting Services), with foreign-eligibility rules in Appendix 9). This 60% threshold is corroborated by the U.S. Government's Country Commercial Guide ('A minimum of 60 percent Filipino ownership is usually required for goods, infrastructure projects and consulting services') and by law-firm analysis of the IRR. Foreign suppliers may participate directly only in defined exceptions: (a) under a treaty or international/executive agreement; (b) where the foreign supplier's country grants reciprocal rights to Filipinos (proven by a certification from that country's government); (c) where the goods/quality are not available from local suppliers in the required quantity; or (d) where foreign participation is needed to prevent a situation that defeats competition or restrains trade. Separately, under IRR Section 79 and the Tatak Pinoy Act (RA 11981), for ~10 years (to roughly 2034) procuring entities must give preference/award to domestic bidders for covered Philippine products, with a post-window price-preference margin. Foreign-funded projects follow the applicable treaty/loan-agreement rules. NET: registration is open to foreigners; AWARD eligibility is RESTRICTED and in practice most foreign firms must team with a Filipino distributor or form a 60%-Filipino-owned joint venture unless a stated exception applies. A human should confirm the exact verbatim 60% clause and per-sector exception wording against the IRR PDF, which could not be machine-extracted.
Decide whether you will register as a foreign supplier (home-country equivalents, viable mainly under an IRR exception) or, as is typical, through a locally-registered Philippine entity or a joint venture that is at least 60% Filipino-owned. Because contract award strongly favors Filipino/domestic bidders under RA 12009 and its IRR, most foreign firms partner with a Filipino distributor or JV. Prepare corporate registration documents; foreign suppliers may submit home-country business-registration documents in English (with embassy/consulate-certified translation if not originally in English).
On the PhilGEPS website, click 'Sign Up' then 'Merchant Supplier', complete the Merchant Registration Form, request and verify a one-time password sent to your email, then log in and apply for Red Registration by submitting business details and documents. Red Membership is free, has no expiration, and is the default status on approval. PhilGEPS typically approves or rejects the application within about one business day.
Log in with your Red credentials, select 'Upgrade Platinum Registration' under Pending Tasks, complete the application and upload the consolidated Class A eligibility documents. Platinum Membership is required to participate in competitive bidding, and on approval grants the PhilGEPS Certificate of Registration (Platinum). Foreign suppliers submit their business-registration documents and audited financial statements in English (with peso conversion).
Select a payment method (PhilGEPS Cashier or LandBank; USD wire transfer is accepted for foreign suppliers), pay the annual Platinum fee of approximately PHP 5,000 plus a documentary stamp tax, submit the payment receipt, and submit for approval. On approval you receive the PhilGEPS Certificate of Platinum Registration, valid for one year and renewable annually with updated documents.
Even with Platinum registration, confirm you are eligible to be AWARDED the specific contract. Under RA 12009 and its IRR, bidders for goods/infrastructure/consulting must generally be Filipino or at least 60% Filipino-owned; and under IRR Section 79 plus the Tatak Pinoy Act procuring entities must favor domestic bidders for covered products for ~10 years (to roughly 2034). Foreign bidders may participate mainly where a treaty/international agreement applies, the foreign firm's country grants reciprocity to Filipinos (with certification), goods/quality are unavailable locally, or foreign participation is needed to prevent restraint of trade; foreign-funded projects follow the applicable loan/treaty rules. Read the bidding documents and confirm the eligibility basis, or secure a qualifying Filipino distributor/JV.
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Create free accountRed Membership: free. Platinum Membership: approximately PHP 5,000 per year plus a documentary stamp tax; annual renewal required. Verify the current exact amount on the PhilGEPS portal before paying.
5–15 days
Republic Act No. 12009, the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), signed 30 July 2024, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) issued by the GPPB on 10 February 2025. RA 12009 EXPRESSLY REPEALS AND REPLACES the prior Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184). Statute Section 78 provides goods 'may be obtained from domestic or foreign sources'; Section 79 establishes domestic preference tied to the Tatak Pinoy Act (RA 11981). Foreign-bidder eligibility and the 60% Filipino-ownership qualification for goods/infrastructure/consulting are set in the IRR eligibility provisions (Sections 23.4.1.2 for Goods, 23.4.2.2 for Infrastructure, 24.3.3 for Consulting Services) and IRR Appendix 9 (Guidelines in the Determination of Eligibility of Foreign Suppliers, Contractors, and Consultants). Primary texts: RA 12009 statute https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2024/ra_12009_2024.html ; IRR https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2025/irr_12009_2025.html and GPPB official PDF https://www.gppb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Implementing-Rules-and-Regulations-of-RA-12009.pdf ; Official Gazette IRR https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2025/02feb/20250210-IRR-RA-12009-FRM.pdf
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This guide is grounded in official sources, last verified 2026-07-21.