‘Bidding for new hospital open to private observers’
Cebu City officials said private observers will be invited to the bidding process for the P300 million first phase of the construction of the new Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
“I am for it,” said Mayor Michael Rama yesterday when his comment was sought.
“I would like to come out with a communication to the BAC (bids and awards committee) and whoever are in-charge, please don’t forget to invite private observers especially the KBP and whoever are interested, like Dilaab.”
The need for two private sector observers, a requirement of the Government Procurement Law, was highlighted after the controversy over the BAC’s discovery of “misrepresentation” and false information in the bid documents of the lowest bidder, Manila-based A.M. Oreta & Company and its joint venture partner WTG Construction, whose bid was post-disqualified.
Councilor Mary Ann Delos Santos, a BAC member, who voted to disqualify the lowest bidder, yesterday said she would press for participation of private observers in the city’s seven-member BAC.
“All this is a learning experience. If we encountered that (the absence of private observers) during the first bidding, we can always rectify and make corrections. In line with transparency, I would suggest and strongly push for private sector representatives in the BAC process,” delos Santos said in an interview.
Citing her experience as former barangay chairperson of Lahug, delos Santos said most private observers are lukewarm about taking part as watchdogs in the bidding process.
Mayor Rama last Thursday signed the BAC’s resolution declaring the bid “unresponsive” and disqualifying the joint venture.
The BAC found out that A.M. Oreta didn’t complete a similar hospital project in the last five years contrary to what was stated in their submitted documents.
Bidders were required to have completed a hospital project.
The BAC also found out the WTG has 12 on-going projects in the region alone or more than the three projects stated in the company’s submitted documents.
The two firms have until today to file for a motion for reconsideration to the BAC.
Specified
“Let’s just wait. There is a process for that. When the process will be over, let’s do what ought to be done,” Rama told reporters.
He said private observers should be invited by the BAC for transparency and accountability.
“I’ve been propounding about QQSTA or quick quality super-service without prejudicing transparency and accountability. Mike Rama is a very transparent and accountable person,” Rama said.
Under the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act, at least two private observers should be involved in all stages of the bidding process.
But based on records from the BAC Secretariat, letters of invitation to private groups for the CCMC project bidding only specified a schedule up to the opening of bids last September 30.
Lack of interest
The omnibus letter invite didn’t specify dates for the post-qualification stage.
Even during the opening of the bid documents, none of the invited private sector representatives showed up including the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and the Cebu Chapter the
Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE).
City officials also noted the lack of interest from the private sector in observing the bidding process.
Protest period
But after the disqualification of WTG and AM Oreta several private groups signified interest on the bidding process including KBP Cebu Chapter President Jun Tagalog.
Tagalog said they will just wait for another invitation from the BAC secretariat for the post-qualification of the second lowest bidder.
Dr. Shawn Espina of CARE-CCMC also said they will actively participate in the next activities of the CCMC bidding.
“But we depend on the BAC secretariat to inform us what their moves are. Sometimes we are not informed,” Espina said.
BAC chairman and City Engr. Jose Marie Poblete said the committee will reconvene to conduct the post-qualification for the second lowest bidder which is a joint-venture of Manila-based contractors MCEI-SCDI Construction.
Poblete earlier said they will just wait for the protest period to lapse before they will reconvene to post-qualify the second lowest bidder.
Related Stories:
Bids committe, Rama send post-disqualification notice to contractors
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