Contractor disqualified as lowest bidder for CCMC project
OUT OF THE RACE
The start of Phase 1 for a new Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) hit a snag.
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the city government disqualified WTG Construction and its Manila partner as the lowest bidder, a decision that may delay the start of construction work this year.
“We post-disqualified the lowest bidder on the basis of inconsistencies and insufficiencies of submitted documents making it a non-responsive bid,” said Councilor Mary Ann Delos Santos, a BAC member, and chairperson of the council’s CCMC ad hoc committee.
She said the bid of the joint venture of Cebu-based WTG Construction and Manila-based A.M. Oreta and Co. Inc. presented “insufficient“ documents that contained “false information and discrepancies.”
One of the BAC members, Jose Daluz III, objected to the disqualification but refused to elaborate.
“Wala na ko kasabot (I don’t understand it anymore). I don’t like how the chairman handled it,” Daluz said in a text message to Cebu Daily News.
Delos Santos said it’s more important to have a proper contractor for the centerpiece project of Mayor Michael Rama’s administration with a cost of almost P1.5 billion to complete.
Big contract
“I really do not mind a delay as long as we’re doing the right thing. We can’t afford to risk a very big contract like this. It’s better for us to scrutinize than to do things in haste,” she said.
“It’s not just the government’s money but also the people since it’s the people’s hospital. Every peso that has gotten into the city’s coffers, especially through Piso Mo, Hospital Ko. I have to protect that. I’m in the position to protect that. In this way, I’m doing my job,” Delos Santos added.
Mayor Rama assigned Delos Santos to head the CCMC ad hoc committee.
LONGER WAIT. Macario Rante, 85 of barangay Pahina Central takes a rest on the steps of the overpass near the site of the new Cebu City Medical Center.
(CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Objected
WTG and AM Oreta gave the lowest bid of P274,975,904.10 for the first phase of the CCMC reconstruction last Sept. 30.
In a meeting last Oct. 31, the BAC had to vote on the matter since some members weren’t in favor of the disqualification.
Five out of seven BAC members were present last Friday.
Those who voted for the disqualification were Delos Santos, City Assessor Ferdinand Canete and City Engineer and BAC-Infrastructure chairman Jose Marie Poblete.
Daluz, who is BAC Infra vice chairman, and Human Resource and Development Office (HRDO) Chief Dominic Dino objected.
Grounds
City Health Officer Dr. Daisy Villa and City Budget Officer Marietta Gumia were not present at the meeting.
Delos Santos said they pushed through with the voting since the committee had a quorum.
“We saw some false information and discrepancies in some of the documents. It’s clear under the government procurement law that at least one of these can be grounds for disqualification,” Delos Santos said.
Daluz didn’t elaborate on his stand against WTG’s disqualification.
BAC chairman Poblete wouldn’t comment on the issue either. He said the BAC agreed to designate Delos Santos as as spokesperson on all matters on the CCMC’s reconstruction.
Delos Santos downplayed Daluz’s comment, saying it’s not a misunderstanding but a part of “democratic discussion.”
“At the end of the day, each of us has our own opinion. And based on the turnout of the votes, majority of the BAC members are in favor of disqualifying the lowest bidder,” she said.
It was Daluz who called for the voting, she said.
Next step
The BAC will have to reconvene and assess the second lowest bidder, Manila-based SCDI-MCEI, a joint venture which bidded P281 million.
Delos Santos said she hopes the BAC chairman will reconvene the members as soon as possible.
Post qualification of the second lowest bidder can take around a week, she said.
If no problems arise, the contract can already be awarded. If not, the BAC will have to post qualify the next lowest bidders.
Budget
They are C.E. Padilla Construction Inc. at P288,888,888.88 and E.M. Cuerpo Inc. at P313,933,333.33.
The city’s approved budget for the contract is P314,266,108.
The first phase for the CCMC reconstruction will cover the building’s structural foundation.
The building will be 10 stories and can accommodate 490 beds.
So far, the city raised P316 million for the project.
The P300 million was included in the city’s Supplemental Budget 1 this year while the P16 million are proceeds from the city “Piso Mo, Hospital Ko” campaign.
Cebu Daily News tried to get Mayor Rama’s comment on the disqualification but the mayor said he is not aware of the full details yet.
“I will still have to meet them (BAC members) and I will give my comment tomorrow (today),” Rama said.
The CCMC was declared unsafe for occupancy after being damaged by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Cebu and Bohol last October 15, 2013.
Since then, CCMC has been operating at the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 7 compound across the hospital’s located in N. Bacalso Ave. corner Panganiban St.
The old building was demolished last February 25.
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