DOT tight-lipped on P1.29-M procurement of jackets as birthday gifts

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism was tight-lipped Monday on its P1.29-M procurement of reversible jackets for birthday celebrators that caught the eye of critics and social media users.

Asked about the procurement, which had been the subject of jokes online, Assistant Secretary Frederick Alegre said the procurement is still not done.

“This is still undergoing procurement process,” Alegre, department spokesperson, told Philstar.com.

Asked whether buying items to mark the birthdays of officials and staff is a regular activity of the department, he replied: "This is still undergoing procurement process."

The questions on and criticism of the procurement of reversible jackets for the DOT birthday celebrators came after its bidding document DOT-BAC IB No. 2018-009 circulated online.

The 69-page bidding document was also released and published on DOT’s official website.

In its invitation to bid, the DOT called on prospective bidders to offer proposals for the reversible jacket contract amounting to P1,294,500.

“The Department of Tourism, through the General Appropriations Act intends to apply the sum of One Million Two Hundred Ninety-Four Thousand Five Hundred Philippine Pesos (PhP1,294,500.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for DOT-BAC IB No. 2018-009,” the bidding invitation read.

“Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening,” it added.

The Tourism department did not specify the number of jackets being procured.

So #WandaTeo's @TourismPHL is opening up for bidding a P1.3-MILLION-PESO project for REVERSIBLE JACKETS to be given away as tokens to birthday celebrators at the DoT for 2018. P1.2 MILLION PARA SA JACKET. Ano na ba ma'am. Banda saan ba ang walang #WhiffOfCorruption.

— katrinastuartsantiago (@radikalchick) May 2, 2018

Hypothetical scenario:

1,000 people celebrate their birthday at the DOT and they get a reversible jacket each.

That's somewhere around the cost of a Uniqlo reversible parka. :)

— Spelled with C AND a K. (@marocharim) May 7, 2018

"To procure customized reversible jackets to be given as a special token to all DOT birthday celebrators for CY 2018."

SANA DI NIYO NALANG SINABING PANG BIRTHDAY.

SINO BA SA DOT ANG WALANG BIRTHDAY?????? JUICE KO. pic.twitter.com/KMFV7Nhtxj

— alt sarah (@lakwatsarah) May 7, 2018

Philstar.com also asked DOT for information on how many employees it has but, in a series of telephone calls, was told that the request needed to be made through a letter and would need to be approved by Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo.

The eligible bidders are restricted to Filipino citizens or sole proprietorships, partnerships or organizations with at least 60 percent interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to Filipinos and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to Republic Act 5183, or Regulating the Award of Contracts.

The bidders must also comply with the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9184 or the “Government Procurement Reform Act.”

The complete set of bidding documents was made available to interested bidders from April 4 to 24, 2018 in its DOT office. They implemented a fee of P5,000.

The pre-bid conference was scheduled on April 12 while the actual bidding was slated last April 24.

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he was not aware of the Tourism department's plan to buy the jackets.

“I am not aware of that P1-million project. I am sorry but the P1-million appropriations no longer reach the Office of the President,” Roque said in Filipino in a Palace press briefing on Monday.

The DOT is under fire following the controversy caused by an advertisement deal with state-run Philippine Television Network Inc., which then paid P60 million to Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. to run Tourism ads on its show. Bitag is owned by Secretary Teo's brother, Ben Tulfo.

The advertisement deal was questioned by the Commission on Audit for lack of supported documents. Teo, Tulfo and PTNI said the deal was above board.

Teo's lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, announced Monday morning that Bitag would return the P60 million to the government. Teo's husband, Roberto, will also resign from the Tourism Infrastructure And Enterprise Zone Authority board, where he sits and which the Tourism secretary chairs.

RELATED: Bitag to return P60M, Roberto Teo quits TIEZA amid DOT ads controversy