CH eyes to award garbage hauling contract this month

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) is set to award the P40-million contract for garbage hauling service to Pasajero Motors Corporation (Pamocor) before the month ends.

On May 19, the BAC initially declared Pamocor as the winning bidder for the hauling of the city’s trash to a private landfill for the month of May.

Pamocor and Jomara Konstruckt Incorporated, the current service provider of Cebu City Government, participated in the opening of bid documents for the hauling service on May 16. But BAC disqualified Jomara Konstruckt for failing to comply with bidding requirements, including the tax clearance from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Jomara was able to submit its updated tax clearance together with its motion for reconsideration (MR), but the BAC’s technical working group denied its MR.

BAC head Ronaldo Malacora said the city government can only declare Pamocor as the winning bidder, seven days after the issuance of notice of disqualification against Jomara Konstruckt Corporation on May 23.

The seven-day period will expire on May 30, Tuesday.

However, if Jomara would file a protest before the Office of the Mayor within the seven-day period, the official declaration of the winning bidder would further be delayed pending its resolution.

At present, Jomara has yet to file a protest.

“Wala pa kay atoa mang gi-observe ang seven-day rule sukad sa pag-serve nato sa notice of disqualification sa ila and within that period if ever wala’y gi-lodge nga protest didto sa office sa mayor then diha nata makadeclare,” Malacora told The FREEMAN.

Pamocor placed the lowest bid of P1,333 per ton of garbage, which is P12 lower than how much the city has been paying Jomara.

Pending the declaration of the winning bidder, the Department of Public Services (DPS) is using its reserve fund amounting to P12 million for the garbage disposal as the budget released last April will not last this month.

DPS is also proposing for a supplemental budget for miscellaneous services for garbage collection amounting to P178 million intended for the period June until December this year. The proposal is still subject for the approval of the City Council.

The present administration reasoned that the city government is spending a huge amount of money for garbage collection due to the closure of the controversial landfill situated in Barangay Inayawan. (FREEMAN)