DND allots P250 M to upgrade Navy ship

MANILA, Philippines - The defense department will spend close to P250 million to upgrade the Navy ship BRP Artemio Ricarte.

A bid bulletin signed by Defense Undersecretary Natalio Ecarma III said the agency would allot P249.67 million for the improvement of the patrol vessel.

The bidding for the project will be held next month.

Ricarte is a Jacinto-class vessel or corvette and can be used for maritime patrols and interdiction.

The project constitutes the second phase of marine engineering upgrades for the vessel. It will cover, among other upgrades, hull repairs and the improvement of the ship’s electrical plant and control and monitoring systems.

The first phase was completed in 2005 and involved the upgrade of command and control systems and installation of cannons, compass and radars, among other equipment. The third phase of the upgrade seeks to extend the ship’s life.

The defense department has opened the bidding process for the second phase of the upgrade and is now inviting companies to submit offers.

To be qualified, bidders should have completed within five years from the date of submission and receipt of bids a contract similar to the project. The bidding is open to local and foreign bidders subject to the eligibility conditions set by the procurement law.

A complete set of bidding documents is available at the Bids and Awards Committee Secretariat in Camp Aguinaldo for P50,000.

The documents may also be downloaded from the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System website but the potential bidder should pay for them before the submission of bids.

A pre-bid conference will be held on Nov. 27 to provide prospective bidders more information about the project.

The deadline for submission of bids will be on Dec. 9. Late bids, as well as those that are higher than the approved budget for the project, will be rejected.