SMC says bid for CALAX compliant

MANILA, Philippines - Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) said yesterday its bid for the P35-billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax) project  is fully compliant with the government’s requirements.

This is contrary to the claims made by rival bidders that SMC’s infrastructure arm Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc. committed violations in its bid and should be disqualified.

Raoul Romulo, authorized representative of Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc., said the company’s bid proposal submitted last Monday is fully compliant and backed up the required 180-day validity period contrary to claims by rivals that it violated the rules and should be disqualified from the bidding.

“We are compliant. We have a very competitive bid and we are confident we can give government the best deal for the benefit of the taxpayers and the country,” Romulo said.

Romulo said ANZ Bank wrote a letter to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) certifying that the bid security of Optimal Infrastructure is indeed valid and effective for 180 days until Nov. 29 from June 2.

Likewise, he also denied allegations of other bidders that SMC did not comply with the rules on the packaging, sealing and labelling.  “All our boxes were similarly packed,” Romulo explained.

According to him, the issues raised by its competitors for the project are insignificant and do not change the overall financial bid.

“This, among the other issues they are raising, is immaterial to the outcome of the final bid. Let’s not waste our energy pulling each other down but rather focus on the more important matter which is the financial proposal and who can offer the best deal on the table,” he added.

He said that other bidders should not delay the bidding process.

“That is the essence of the whole competitive bidding process. We want our countrymen to get the best price from several, not a few bidders,” Romulo said.

Malaysia ’s Alloy MTD Philippines, Team “Orion” of conglomerate Ayala Corp. and Aboitiz Group as well as MPCALA Holdings Inc. of infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) manifested their objection to the bid submitted by Optimal Infrastructure.

MTD Philippines president Isaac David said the company sent a manifestation to the DPWH Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) concerning the failure of the SMC unit to comply with the requirements of the bidding.

For one, David said SMC’s Optimal Infrastructure failed to comply with the 180-day validity period for the bid security.

On the other hand, MPCALA Holdings authorized representative Christopher Daniel Lizo wrote a letter to DPWH undersecretary and SBAC chairman Rafael Yabut objecting to the bid proposal of SMC’s Optimal Infrastructure.

“The bid security of Optimal Infrastructure shall expire on Nov. 25., indicating that the bid security of Optimal Infrastructure is only valid and effective for 176 days from the bid proposal submission date,” Lizo stated in the letter dated June 3.

Aside from non-compliance to the bid security, MPCALA said the bid submitted by Optimal Infrastructure was not properly packaged, sealed, and labelled in accordance with the bidding requirements.

PPP Center executive director Cosette Canilao said in an interview that the Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) is still deliberating on the legal and technical bids as well as the issues raised by other bidders.