Written by Mark Ian Castillo (Procurement Office)
To support the University’s ongoing efforts to continuously improve in service delivery and to improve academic support systems, the UB Human Resource Management Office (HRM Office) led this benchmarking exercise with Baguio Country Club (BCC), under the leadership of Ms. Mary Joy S. Limpin, HRMC Director, together with her team. BCC is one of the established hotels that is well known for its effective and integrated procurement and inventory management.
The main objectives of the activity were to further reinforce the support of procurement for Culinary Function Activities and to obtain practical knowledge about best practices in procurement, inventory control, and warehouse management to be adapted in the university environment. Even though BCC works in the hospitality sector, they offer good, relevant practices that can be referenced in order to enhance our university’s processes for sourcing learning materials, ingredients, supplies, and equipment for culinary education and hands-on training.
This activity was held last May 29, 2026, and attended by the University of Baguio, Procurement Office, headed by Ms. Ma. Milagros Flores, Director of the Procurement Office, together with the Procurement Officers Mark Ian Castillo, Marjorie Ternida, Rubie Ann Eguid, Maria Sophia Nicalaine Razon, and Jevert Visitacion.
Representing Baguio Country Club was Ms. Melody Urmaza, Purchasing Manager, together with her Purchasing Team, who warmly welcomed the UB delegation and facilitated the discussions and site visits.
Throughout the benchmarking session, both institutions engaged in meaningful exchanges of ideas, experiences, and operational practices. Discussions focused on procurement workflows, supplier management, inventory control systems, warehousing procedures, and strategies for addressing common procurement challenges. Participants openly shared their experiences regarding operational concerns and collaboratively explored practical solutions that could be adapted within their respective organizations.
The activity highlighted the importance of continuous improvement and innovation in procurement management. By learning from industry best practices and fostering partnerships with established organizations, the University of Baguio aims to further enhance its procurement processes, improve operational efficiency, and ensure the timely acquisition of resources necessary to support quality education and student services.
The benchmarking activity is in line with the University of Baguio’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by strengthening and improving institutional systems and partnerships. It supports SDG4 (Quality Education) by ensuring the availability of the required learning resources, SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by using more efficient and innovative procurement processes, SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by implementing more efficient use of resources and reducing waste, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by working collaboratively with other institutions and sharing knowledge.
In general, this is an example of the University’s dedication to ongoing improvement, enhanced institutional relationships, and increasingly effective procurement processes to improve quality education and better service delivery to the UB community.
