Carbon Market redevelopment project: CFI cries unfair treatment from JVSC

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City Joint Venture Selection Committee (JVSC) has refused to furnish the Cebu CFI Community Cooperative with the Formal Instructions to Interested Private Sector Participants in the proposed Carbon Market redevelopment project.

In a letter dated October 16, 2020 addressed to JVSC chairman Floro Casas, CFI chairman Winston Garcia raised their concern on the refusal despite their tender of the required amount of P50,000.

JVSC claimed that the CFI failed to submit a written notarized Notice of Expression of Interest (EOI) to submit a comparative proposal on or before October 16, 2020. There was also no proof that it has undertaken and completed a similar project, the value of which must be equivalent to P2.5 billion.

“Such refusal is not only indicative of the utter lack of sincerity of your committee to conduct a fair, honest and transparent public challenge to the unsolicited proposal of Megawide, it is unreasonable and ridiculous, to say the least. In short, the public invitation for a challenge to a multi-billion project appears to be rigged in favor of the original proponent,” Garcia said.

Garcia said it is bad enough that an interested participant is only given 10 days to submit a comparable proposal to a multi-billion project.

“Your committee refuses to furnish the needed information in order to properly appraise and enable the interested participant to prepare for the particular type of development project it will be challenging and the rules for its challenge,” he said.

Garcia believes the JVSC is treading on very dangerous grounds and the action it has taken against their request may be construed as giving unwarranted advantage and benefits to the original proponent to the prejudice of the CFI and the public.

He also pointed out that the invitation for a public challenge to the unsolicited proposal of Megawide Construction Corp. is premature, highly irregular, and illegal saying that the proposed project as well as the terms of engagement is not yet approved by the City Council of Cebu.

Garcia warned Casas that the committee’s insistence to pursue the proposed project without the approval of the City Council will certainly invite serious legal challenges and charges.

Garcia has reiterated the intention of CFI to pursue its proposal to modernize the Carbon Market under a Build Operate and Transfer scheme as well as their intention to participate in the development of adjoining sites of the Carbon Market, when required to do so.

To show the sincerity and seriousness of their intentions, Garcia attached in his letter the certification from Land Bank of the Philippines attesting not only to their existing multi-billion credit line P3.5 billion but also of its commitment to fund the Carbon Market proposal.

“We challenge your committee to present a similar bank commitment to fund the unsolicited proposal of Megawide. We doubt such commitment was presented by Megawide,” Garcia said.

Also attached is the summary of the Audited Financial Status of CFI as well as the certification of the Cooperative Development Authority attesting to the good standing status as a cooperative.

In addition, Garcia said CFI will be partnering with credible and experienced companies who have engaged in several multi-billion projects, including those similar to their proposal.

Garcia has reiterated their request to furnish them with the requested Instructions as promised in the published Notice last October 6, 2020 and to acknowledge the P50,000 bank manager’s check in payment for the said Instructions.

In an earlier letter dated October 8, 2020 addressed to Casas, Garcia had requested the JVSC to defer invitation for a competitive challenge on a proposal for the redevelopment of Carbon Market and its adjacent sites. — FPL (FREEMAN)