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Friday, March 29, 2024

Clash of titans looms over P50-b prisons deal

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At least three big groups among them conglomerate San Miguel have expressed intention to participate in the government’s bidding for the P50.2 billion   Regional Prison Facilities project aimed at upgrading the country’s penal system and easing congestion of national prisons.

Senior State Counsel Rosario Elena Laborte-Cuevas, DOJ- Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) spokesperson,  said that Megawide Construction Corp. and the San Miguel Holdings Corp have   expressed interest to bid for the project.

D.M. Consunji Inc. has also submitted its letter of intent and manifested its intention to submit  bid documents to the BAC, Cuevas said.

“But the issuance of the bid documents is still until May 5,  So that gives time to other bidders to submit their participation,” the DOJ-BAC official added.

Based on the BAC’s timeline, prospective bidders must submit pre-qualification documents to pre-qualify to bid until May 6.

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The legal, technical and financial qualification requirements are set forth in the Instructions to Prospective Bidders (ITPB) which prospective bidders should purchase in the amount of P1.5 million.

The BAC will evaluate the pre-qualification documents submitted by prospective bidders and those who meet the pre-qualification requirements will receive bidding documents.        

Deadline for bid submission is set on August 14, 2015 while the target date for the issuance of notice of award is scheduled on September 3, 2015.

Contract signing with the winning bidder is set on September 30, 2015, while the issuance of notice to proceed will be issued on March 2016.

“But as of now, many have manifested interest in joining the bidding. However, some may consider the bid price to be too high or probably they’re still taking time if they can come up with a consortium with other companies because of the strict requirements of the bidding  process regarding the experience in building prison facilities. Definitely, none of local firms have such qualification,” Cuevas noted.

The project was in line with Executive Order No. 68 issued on September 8, 2006 by then President Gloria arroyo instructing the DOJ to implement the transfer of New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).

The project, which will be located at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, is just one of the over 60 projects that have been lined up under the government’s Public-Private Partnership program.

The project will be implemented pursuant to Build-Operate-Transfer Law under a Build-Transfer-Maintain (BTM) contractual arrangement.

Under the BTM scheme, the project proponent finances and constructs the regional prison facility and subsequently maintains it during a period of 20 years.

The planned facility is expected to accommodate 26,880 inmates, including staff housing and administrative buildings, areas for rehabilitation.

The DOJ noted that as of December 2012, the NBP has a total inmates of 21,106 while its capacity is only 9,007. The Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) has a total inmates of 2,016 although its capacity is only 1,000.

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