Approved supplier bid P50 higher for each Makati birthday cake

Timstate Food and Beverages Corporation (Bakerite), the lone eligible bidder for the supply of birthday cakes for senior citizens in Makati, placed the price of each cake at P354.65, or almost P50 higher than the previous price of P306.75, when it submitted its proposal last month. 

 

Documents obtained by GMA News show that Bakerite submitted a bid of P13.216 million for 37,265 cakes to be delivered from June 15 to December 31, 2015.

 

The proposal sheet submitted by Bakerite to the Makati Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) on June 2 indicates that each nine-inch round chiffon birthday cake will cost P354.65. 

 

A purchase order issued by the Makati city government in March 2015 to the same bake shop shows that each cake, with the same diameter and four-inch height, cost only P306.75. 

 

The BAC approved Bakerite's proposal being the lone eligible bidder for the project. 

 

"Whereas, in response to the said invitation, one (1) eligible bidder purchased bid document and one (1) was submitted on Jun 2, 2015, and one (1) passed with preliminary examination of bids," it said. 

 

Section 36 of the Government Procurement Reform Act provides that when there is a single calculated and responsive bid (SCRB) submission, "the procuring entity shall ensure that the ABC (Approved Budget for the Contract) reflects the most advantageous prevailing price for the government." 

 

The city government allocated P22 million for its free cakes program this year.

 

Bakerite, which operates in Quiapo, Manila, replaced Cups and Mugs Kitchenette as the supplier of birthday cakes in March 2014. 

 

The owners of Cups and Mugs—the Chong family—are also the listed owners of Meriras Realty and Development Corp., which former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado claimed was a "dummy" company of Vice President Jejomar Binay. 

 

Acting Makati Mayor Romulo "Kid" Pena Jr. has temporarily replaced Bakerite as cake supplier and is personally shouldering the expenses pending a public bidding. 

 

He said he and his friends purchase the cakes from Goldilocks, each ranging from P265 to P280.

 

"Kaya naman natin bumili ng mas mura na maganda pa ang quality eh," he said. 

 

According to a highly-placed source, the contract to purchase cakes from Bakerite should be declared null and void by the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) because most of the signatories involved in the bidding have been ordered suspended. 

 

The source said that based on the documents, a purchase order has been issued by the city government to Bakerite on June 15. However, the notice of award dated June 11 was left unsigned by Mayor Junjun Binay. 

 

Bakerite's production and delivery schedule certification indicates that it will deliver its products "if awarded the contract/project and upon receipt of the approved pruchase order."

 

Councilor Mayeth Casal-Uy earlier explained that the contract has already been bidded out last June 2 but has yet to be awarded because of the temporary changes in the city government.

 

Mayor Binay has been ordered suspended in connection with his supposed involvement in the alleged irregularities of the construction of a  Makati Science High School building. —KG, GMA News