Manila, April 30 -- Countries from the East Asia and Pacific Region are pushing for a "more transparent, inclusive, and sustainable" public procurement.

This, as the participating nations in the region signed the first-ever statement of cooperation on public procurement during the second day of the East Asia and the Pacific International Public Procurement Conference on Tuesday, according to the Department of Budget and Management's (DBM) news release on Wednesday.

"As we sign the first-ever Statement of Cooperation on public procurement in the East Asia Pacific, we are expressing our shared commitment to fostering sustained partnerships and continued knowledge exchange among our countries," DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, who led the...