DND to purchase two frigates in light of planned 'mini-Subic' in Palawan

The Department of National Defense (DND) has opened the bidding for the acquisition of two new construction frigates worth P18 billion in light of the planned establishment of a major naval base -- described as a "mini-Subic" -- in Palawan province.

In the invitation to bid, DND Undersecretary Fernando Manalo, head of the special bids and awards committee, said the frigates should be delivered  within a period of 1,460 calendar days from the opening of the letter of credit.

He said the bidders should have completed, within the last 10 years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project.

The bidding will be conducted through a two-stage competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as stated in the implementing rules and regulations of the Government Procurement Reform Act (Republic Act 9184).

Interested bidders may get other information and the bidding documents from the DND Bids and Awards Committee secretariat from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.

A complete set of the bidding documents may be purchased on October 3, 2013 upon payment of a non-refundable fee of P75,000. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System and DND website provided the bidders will pay the fee not later than the submission of their bids.

The first stage pre-bid conference will be held on October 11, 10am at the DND BAC conference room.

First stage bids must be delivered on or before October 25, 10 a.m., also the date of the first stage bid opening.

Eligible bidders shall be notified for the second stage bidding procedure upon completion of the evaluation and validation of the documents.

A Reuters report said the Philippine government is planning to develop Oyster Bay in Palawan into a military facility.

Navy Commodore Joseph Rostum Peña was quoted as saying that Oyster Bay transformed into a major naval base will be a mini-Subic, referring to Subic Bay in Zambales, which used to be a facility for US soldiers.

Residents near the area expressed apprehension that the development would pollute the bay and scare away their catch, and may result in the establishment of bars and brothels just like in Subic. -- Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News