BAC resets bidding for sanitary landfill construction
BACOLOD CITY — Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman Atty. Goldwyn Nifras decided to reset the opening of Bidding Documents for the construction of sanitary landfill on December 14, 2009 after it was learned that most of the interested bidders failed to prepare a topographical map for the project.
Nifras also slammed some bidders who questioned the pre-bid conference last November 20, 2009. “If we are not transparent we had already awarded to the sole contractor on the first bidding, but we make sure that we follow the process,” Nifras stressed.
He also said that the seven years requirement for a bidder is regular even though the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or RA 9003 was only implemented six years ago.
He said that the bidders must learn that before R.A. 9003 was implemented, there were local government units operating a sanitary landfill and there is no excuse to defend that the bidders could not establish their own landfill.
Nifras is very confident that the construction of the sanitary landfill will commence after the bidding process will be completed on December 14, 2009.
Earlier, a group of contractors in Negros Occidental led by Abe Gilbor questioned the first bidding process because of the stringent requirements applied by the BAC.
“The first bidding process of this same project was a “failure” because according to the Chairman of the BAC, as he declared during the Pre-Bid Conference, no contractor participated due to the stringent eligibility requirements,” Gilbor stated.
On the other hand, Nifras said that as of now, there are four participating bidders and one of them is Manila-based while three are based in Bacolod City.
Meanwhile, Mayor Evelio Leonardia envisioned that before his term ends the construction of the sanitary landfill will commence with a budget of P33 million. The City of Bacolod had already implemented the “no segregation, no collection” policy last April 2009 as part of the compliance under RA 9003.
