Bidder questions BAC policy on sanitary landfill bidding
BACOLOD CITY — Engineer Orlando Sorbito of MG Construction Corporation raised yesterday some issues against the procurement process conducted by the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of Bacolod City for the Design and Build Scheme of a Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Felisa which has contract cost worth P33 million.
Sorbito who participated the Pre-Bid Conference last November 20, 2009 along with some contractors from Metro Manila and even here in Negros Occidental finds the BAC requirements were strict and hard to comply most particularly on Minimum Requirements for the Contractor with at least 7 years experience.
He said that according to the procedures enumerated, the contractor should be category AAA and a member of the Philippine Contractor’s Association and has at least seven years experience in the construction works, maintenance and operation of sanitary landfill.
Sorbito said that anybody could participate in public bidding especially if he has been issued a license by the Philippine Contractor’s Association Board (PCAB) to engage or act as a contractor. He stressed that during the Pre-Bid Conference which was conducted on Nov. 20, 2009, several issues were raised regarding the eligibility requirements however the BAC Chairman refused to discuss the said concerns and insisted that only Technical issues were to be discussed.
Sorbito believed that the second bidding would be a failure so that the negotiated procurement will be settled. “Should there occur a second failure of bidding, the procuring entity may resort to negotiated procurement, as provided for in Section 53.1 of this IRR,” Sorbito asked.
He also criticized the BAC policy that upon securing the abstract to bids, interested bidders shall pay the amount of P10,000 and could be forfeited if there will be a failure of bidding. The City Government had given until this month of December for the compliance of R.A. 9003 or Solid Waste Management Act.
