Source: Business World, 8 January 2012

 

THE BIDDING PROCESS for another public-private partnership (PPP) project has been started by the government, which on Saturday called for offers to construct schoolbuildings nationwide.

The Department of Education (DepEd), in a notice, advised interested parties to submit applications to its Prequalification, Bids and Awards Committee on or before April 23.

Separate contracts will be granted for the three regions covered by the P10.4-billion project: Region I (Ilocos), 2,050 classrooms; Region III (Central Luzon), 3,003 classrooms; and Region IV-A (Calabarzon), 4,279 classrooms.

The project will involve the “design, financing, construction and maintenance of one-storey and two-storey buildings,” the DepEd said.

Bidding will involve two stages: pre-qualification based on legal, technical and financial capability requirements; and qualification or submission of bids.

PPP Center Executive Director Cosette V. Canilao yesterday said a bidding date had yet to be scheduled. The DepEd “will probably” give applicants 60 days after the deadline to prepare their bids, she added.

Prospective investors said they were still studying the project’s details.

“We are interested but we will have to study it well and check the details,” said Louie B. Ferrer, vice-president of Megawide Construction.

Philippine Investment Management, Inc. (PHINMA) President and CEO Ramon R. del Rosario, Jr., in a text message, said: “While we have a strong interest in supporting the education thrusts of the Aquino administration, we still have to study the detail of the PPP school infrastructure project to determine the extent to which we may participate.”

Ms. Canilao last week said the government hoped to roll out at least eight PPP projects this year, moving the centerpiece program forward following over a year of delays.

Other projects targeted for a 2012 rollout are the Health department’s P900-million Vaccine Self-Sufficiency Program, scheduled in the first quarter, and five other projects set for the second half: the P5-billion modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center; P1.8-billion Common Fare Collection System; P7.8-billion Laguindingan Airport Operations and Maintenance contract; P8-billion New Bohol Airport; and the P10.15-billion Mactan Terminal 2 Airport Development project.

Ms. Canilao said the eighth project could come from those approved under the Project Development and Monitoring Facility.

She said more projects would be offered this year, making up for last year’s performance where only the P1.96-billion Daang Hari-SLEx project was bid out and awarded to Ayala Corp. in December.