DMCI-First Balfour gets nod to join MRT-LRT Loop bidding

The Consunji and Lopez joint venture got the nod from the bids and awards committee (BAC) of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) to join the bidding on the technical development of the project dubbed as the MRT-LRT Loop. The much delayed rail development will connect the Light Rail Transit-1 (LRT) Monumento station in Caloocan and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) North Avenue station in Quezon City. Friday, the BAC formally opened the bidding process by checking the eligibility of the interested parties on the P2 billion-worth Package C or the construction of the electromechanical system of the project. For Package C, the joint venture of Leighton Construction Philippines, Inc. and M. Oreta Construction Corp. also submitted for eligibility check however, it was disqualified for not furnishing a certified copy of Leighton’s appointment of its chief executive. BAC Chairman Cesar B. Chavez explained that there are three levels of the bidding process; eligibility, technical and financial. Since DMCI-First Balfour venture was declared eligible, it can proceed on the technical and financial bidding levels. The LRTA Board will meet on Monday to determine whether to grant the contract on Package C to DMCI-First Balfour joint venture. An LRTA consultant who requested anonymity said Leighton’s mistake is trivial. "It’s a matter of oversight," he said. The Leighton-Oreta venture also submitted for eligibility and was also disqualified for the two other packages of the project; Package A, which involves the construction of a viaduct and pedestrian overpass, and Package B or the construction and modification of stations. "Everybody was subjected to the same rules and there was no departure," the consultant said, adding that Leighton should have furnished the necessary documents after the eligibility checks done on packages A and B. Mr. Chavez said the strictness of the bidding process from the onset signals to the participants that the agency wants the bidding to be done in the right way. "We are sending a strong message to them that we’re serious... Hindi kami nagkulang (We did not fall short) of reminding them [of the as requirements]," Mr. Chavez said adding that the LRTA conducted pre-bidding conferences. Meanwhile, since none qualified for the actual bidding, Packages A and B is up for re-bidding, which will start on Tuesday. For the entire project, a total of 20 parties bought bid documents worth 25,000 each, but only a few joined the eligibility check with only five parties in the P2.8-billion Package A and only four parties in the P830-million Package B. The LRTA Administrator Melquiades A. Robles previously said that the government is planning to award the contract for the 5.4-kilometer link this December. The MRT-LRT Loop involves the construction of three new stations, one located at the MRT-3 North Avenue end and the other two at Balintawak and Muñoz Market in Quezon City. The development of the P5.9 billion project, which will run for two years, is expected to begin in June next year. - Marian Grace S. Ramos/BusinessWorld