Three companies, including San Miguel Corp., Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and a new consortium, attended the pre-bid conference for the P35.4-billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway on Friday.
Team Orion, the group of Ayala Corp. and Aboitiz Land Inc., which was declared the highest bidder in the first bidding, did not participate in the pre-bid conference, Public Works undersecretary Rafael Yabut said.
“As expected the reps [representatives] of three bidders namely SMC, MPIC and the private firm were present in the pre-bid conference,” Yabut said.
The Public Works Department set the bid submission and opening of the pre-qualification documents for the Calax project on May 19. The technical proposals will be opened on June 2 and financial proposals on June 15. The notice of award will be issued July 7.
Yabut said the prospective bidders raised minor issues which would be addressed by the issuance of a supplemental bid bulletin.
“The present third bidder is a new one which we do not know yet the composition. No Ayala and Alloy MTD. Only SMC and MPIC plus the new one,” he said.
The National Economic and Development Authority board approved a single-stage qualification and bidding for the Calax project, with a minimum bid price of P20.105 billion.
President Benigno Aquino III earlier ordered a rebidding of the Calax project because of the issues raised by San Miguel.
San Miguel asked President Aquino to reconsider the decision of the Public Works Department to disqualify unit Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc. from the bidding on technicality and accept its P20.1-billion bid for Calax, which was P8 billion higher than the P11.7-billion offer by Team Orion of Ayala Corp. and Aboitiz Land Inc., which was declared the highest bidder.
Metro Pacific, through MPCALA Holdings Inc., offered P11.33 billion for Calax, slightly lower than Team Orion’s winning bid of P11.65 billion.
Malaysian-owned Alloy MTD Philippines offered P922 million.
San Miguel’s OIDI, which submitted an offer of P20.1 billion, was disqualified on technicality.
The Calax project involves a 35-year contract to finance, build and operate a 47-kilometer four-lane toll road between the end of Cavite Expressway in Kawit, Cavite and the South Luzon Expressway-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.