Memorandum Circular No. 180

General Mandate

Section 1. General Mandate. The National Printing Office (NPO) shall continue to be the primary and main provider of printing services to national, provincial, city and municipal governments, agencies and instrumentalities, including government corporations, as mandated by law, subject to the qualifications prescribed herein.

Printing of accountable forms with money value and specialized accountable forms

Sec. 2. Printing of accountable forms with money value and specialized accountable forms. The NPO shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the printing of accountable forms with money value and specialized accountable forms of the requisitioning office or agency, subject to the following guidelines: All requisitions for the printing of accountable forms with money value and those which are specially designed for the agency's requirements shall be submitted to the NPO. The NPO shall fill in the requisition and perform the printing job. If it is incapable of undertaking the job within thirty (30) days from submission, taking into consideration the target completion time of the requisitioning office, the NPO shall immediately conduct a public bidding to be participated in by NPO-accredited private security printers only, and the printing job shall be awarded in accordance with the relevant procurement law, rules and regulations.  The printing of the requested forms shall be done under the strict control and supervision of the NPO and in the presence of its representative together with representatives from the Commission on Audit and from the requisitioning agency. The NPO shall be the sole distributor of all the forms printed by the accredited security printers which will be paid by the NPO for the services they have rendered. All flats, cuts and types used for the specific printing job shall be surrendered to the requisitioning office or agency after the completion of the printing job.

Printing of official ballots and other accountable election forms

Sec. 3. Printing of official ballots and other accountable election forms. Official ballots and other accountable election forms and paraphernalia shall be printed exclusively by the National Printing Office and/or the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas under proper security measures which the Commission on Elections shall provide and other conditions prescribed by law; Provided That, if the NPO cannot meet the printing requirements of the Commission, it shall promptly issue the corresponding certification so that the latter may contract the services of private printers as provided by law.

Other standard and accountable forms

Sec. 4. Other standard and accountable forms. With respect to the printing of official standard and accountable forms other than those specified under Sections 2 and 3 above, government agencies, instrumentalities and corporations may source their printing services outside the NPO provided that: The printing services to be provided by the private sector is superior in quality and at a lower cost than that offered by the NPO, and The  private  printing  provider  is  flexible  in  terms  of meeting  the  target completion time of the government agency Provided further that, in tapping private providers in the printing of accountable and standard forms, government agencies, instrumentalities and corporations shall adhere to the guidelines and safeguards prescribed by the Director General of the Philippine Information Agency; Provided, finally, that prior written waiver by the NPO should be secured by the requisitioning office before it commences the proper procedure in contracting the services of private printers; said waiver, if warranted, shall be promptly issued by the NPO, taking into consideration the target completion time of the requisitioning office.

Public Documents

Sec. 5 . Public Documents. The NPO retains exclusive printing jurisdiction over public documents such as the Official Gazette, General Appropriations Act, Philippine Reports, and development information materials of the Philippine Information Agency.

Other Government Printing Jobs

Sec. 6. Other Government Printing Jobs. The NPO may also accept other government printing jobs, including government publications, aside from those enumerated above, but not in an exclusive basis.

SEC. 7. All executive issuances, orders, rules and regulations which are inconsistent with this Memorandum Circular are hereby revoked, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 8. This Circular shall take effect upon its publication in a newspaper of general circulation. Done in the City of Manila, this 13 th day of August, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Nine. By Authority of the President: (Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA Executive Secretary By the Executive Secretary: (Sgd.) JOAQUIN C. LAGONERA Senior Deputy Executive Secretary