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3 foreign entities among 18 bidders for DepEd's PPP classrooms
Three foreign prospective bidders are among the 18 contractors keenly interested in helping the Philippine government build 9,332 classrooms all over three regions of Luzon under the public-private partnership (PPP) program, a source in the Department of Education (DepEd) told GMA News Online Monday. The groups of public works contractors were among those that purchased the bid documents package from the DepEd as of last Friday, March 23—the original deadline for submission of qualification documents. The new deadline is April 11, according to Trissa Manalastas, executive assistant of DepEd Undersecretary Francisco M. Varela. Manalastas said the deadline was moved upon request of the contractors interested in participating in the public-private partnership project. She declined to identify the bidders, citing possible legal issues. According to DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro, the country lacks 66,800 classrooms based on the department’s most recent assessment. Manalastas informed GMA News Online that seven to nine schools in Bulacan were shortlisted as possible sites for the construction of model units of proposed school building designs. The DepEd requires bidders to build two or three prototypes of the structures to be proposed as part of the bidding process. DepEd published the Invitation to Pre-Qualify to Bid on Jan. 8 and staged last Feb. 22 a conference to discuss project details with basic education stakeholders. The PPP project is in three contract packages. Contract Package A is for 2,050 classrooms in Region I (Ilocos). Some 2,999 classrooms for Region III (Central Luzon) is Contract Package B. The largest contract package at 4,283 classrooms is for Region IV-A (Calabarzon). DepEd officials said the National Capital Region was not made part of the contract packages because of the lack of lots on which school buildings may be built. The 2,528 new school buildings will be built in 2,262 campuses of public elementary schools and high schools. According to the PPP project brief, 12 different types of school buildings must be built with these basic features:
- non-skid floor finish
- painted walls
- complete set of operable transparent or translucent louver-type windows
- two 900mm wide, 180-degree swing single-leaf doors, fitted with keyed level-type locksets
- complete electrical wiring and fixtures
- colored roofing and other weather protection
- separate toilets for boys, girls and handicapped
- general circulation (single-load corridors and stairs), access for the disabled, and fire escape provisions
- student armchairs with tablets, teachers’ desks and chairs and chalkboards.
