CEBU-BASED Mactan Rock Industries Inc. (MRII), with its partners Tubig Pilipinas Group Inc. and TGV Builders Inc., was awarded the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) bulk water supply contract more than two months after it pre-qualified for the project.
Mactan Rock was the lone bidder for both the Injection Points 1 and 2 during the bidding held last July 1 and 2.
Baciwa Director David Villanueva said on Thursday the decision to award the project to MRII was a unanimous action decided by the Board of Directors during its regular meeting held Wednesday.
Villanueva said the bidder passed the minimum requirements as specified in the terms of reference stipulated under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Law.
The awarding is just the first step, he said, adding that they will set conditions in the contract which is being prepared and finalized.
Once the contract is done, Baciwa will send copies to Mactan Rock for their signature, Villanueva said.
“After the signing, Baciwa will issue a notice to proceed,” he said.
The water supplier offered P8.85 per cubic meter for Injection Point 1, and P9.85 per cubic meter for Injection Point 2.
Corporate Secretary Mark Roxas of Tubig Pilipinas had earlier said there is a price difference due to the varied distance of the two projects.
Injection Point 2 is farther than Injection Point 1 and it would require more pipes and other costs.
Engineer Jenelyn Gemora, chair of the Baciwa BAC, said during the bidding that the bulk water supply contract period is fixed for 25 years unless there will be extraordinary circumstances as provided in RA 9184.
Meanwhile, Mayor Monico Puentevella yesterday welcomed the decision of the Baciwa Board to award the bulk water supply contract to the lone bidder.
“I support whatever they have decided. As the water district, they know best. We need all the water we can get,” the mayor said.
Puentevella said he plans to sit down with the Baciwa Board next week as there are big companies that offered to present their project proposals to Baciwa.
These companies can also help Baciwa improve their services, he added.
The mayor said he will also discuss in the meeting the Board’s request to extend the term of Baciwa interim general manager Mario Macatangay.
Although the Board requested the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) to let Macatangay stay in Baciwa for another year from August this year, the agency allowed him to remain only until the end of September.
“If I need to talk to the LWUA Administrator, I will do it as long as I will confer with the Board first,” Puentevella said.