San Miguel: Bid for P35.4-B CALA project in order, best deal for govt

The bid by San Miguel Corp. unit Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc. for the P35.4 billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway was in order, in spite of claims by competitors, and may even be the best for the government's public-private partnership project.

 

“We are compliant," said Raoul Romulo, head of Treasury Services of San Miguel Infrastructure Group and the official representative of Optimal Infrastructure Group.

 

"We have a very competitive bid, and we are confident we can give government the best deal for the benefit of the taxpayers and the country,” Romulo said.

 

Other companies competing for the CALA project – Alloy MTD Philippines of Malaysia, Team “Orion” of Ayala Corp. and  Aboitiz Group, and MPCALA Holdings Inc. Metro Pacific Investments Corp. – early this week raised objections before Department of  Public Works and Highways concern the bid of Optimal Infrastructure, claiming it violated the bidding rules and must be disqualified.

 

Romulo, however, said ANZ Bank has certified before the DPWH the bid security submitted by Optimal Infrastructure was valid for 180 days, from June 2 to Nov. 29.

Packaging, sealing labeling

 

The other companies also claimed Optimal Infrastructure did not follow the rules on packaging, sealing and labeling the bid documents.

 

“All our boxes were similarly packed,” Romulo said, noting the issues raised against Optimal Infrastructure were irrelevant and carried not weight against its financial bid for the project.

 

“This, among the other issues they are raising, is immaterial to the outcome of the final bid, Romulo said.
 

"Let’s not waste our energy pulling each other down, but rather focus on the more important matter, which is the financial proposal and who can offer the best deal on the table.

 

“That is the essence of the whole competitive bidding process. We want our countrymen to get the best price from several, not a few bidders,” Romulo added.

 

In a text message to reporters Thursday, MTD Philippines president Isaac David said his company wrote a manifestation for the DPWH Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC), saying Optimal Infrastructure did not comply with the bidding requirements.

Stop delaying the process

 

“No, we didn’t complain but sent a letter in compliance with DPWH’s request for a written manifestation," David said, noting the validity timeframe for the Optimal Infrastructure bid security was short of 180 days..

 

"We leave it to the best judgement of the SBAC,” he added.

 

Christopher Daniel Lizo, MPCALA Holdings representative, also sent a manifestation to DPWH Undersecretary and SBAC chairman Rafael Yabut, saying Optimal Infrastructure should be disqualified as the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) law or Republic Act 7718 was explicit that a bid will be automatically disqualified if a bidder failed to meet the validity of the bid security.

 

“The bid security of Optimal Infrastructure shall expire on Nov. 25., indicating that the bid security of Optimal Infrastructure is only valid and effective for 176 days from the bid proposal submission date,” Lizo noted in a June 3 letter to the DPWH.

 

For its part, MPCALA Holdings noted the bid documents submitted by Optimal Infrastructure did not comply with the packaging, sealing, and labeling requirements of the DPWH.

 

Romulo, however, said the competition should stop delaying the bid process with those irrelevant allegations. – VS, GMA News