Just a day after an ‘unfavorable’ result in the bidding of seven projects, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Catanduanes District Engineering Office has cancelled the bidding of vital 23 infrastructure projects allegedly due to the impact of tropical depression “Kristine.”
In a supplemental bulletin issued on Nov. 6, 2024, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Vice Chairperson Engr. Joel B. Turado notified contractors that the projects scheduled for bidding on Nov. 19 will be cancelled “due to substantial revisions in the Program of Works, with major adjustment in the Approved Budget for the Contract.”
The BAC official stated that the impact of the recent storm on the proposed sites has altered the original terrain and profile, necessitating additional work components.
He likewise claimed that recent increases in the prices of essential construction materials have influenced the project budget, requiring a comprehensive re-evaluation of each project’s scope of work and financial components.
Among the projects affected were rehabilitation of roads along the Catanduanes Circumferential Road; construction of multipurpose buildings in 15 barangays in Virac, Caramoran, Viga, Pandan and San Andres; construction of flood control structures in San Miguel, Panganiban, Bato and Caramoran; construction of access road in nine barangays in Virac, Pandan, Bagamanoc and San Andres; construction of bypass road in Caramoran; repair of bridges in San Miguel; and, construction of water supply systems in Caramoran, Baras and Panganiban.
The projects have a total cost of P410 million, according to detailed information in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for the DPWH Catanduanes DEO as published by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on its website.
Nearly P300 million or 71 percent has been allocated for just six projects: P53.5 million for the Rehabilitation of Damaged Paved Secondary Road with a length of 336 meters at KM 44 along the circumferential road; P50 million for the Rehabilitation of Damaged Paved Secondary Roads with a total length of 1.2 kilometers from KM 28 to KM 30 along the circumferential road; P70 million for the construction of bypass road at Poblacion, Caramoran; P50 million for the Rehabilitation of Secondary Road with a total length of 82 meters along KM 41 and 43 of the circumferential road; P40 million for the Construction of Flood Mitigation Structure and Drainage System in Panganiban; and, P30 million for the Construction of Flood Mitigation Structure at Marinawa, Bato.
According to sources inside the DPWH Catanduanes DEO, the cancellation of the bidding for the 23 projects came just a day after the BAC bid out seven projects with a total cost of P175 million.
Of the six contracts successfully bid out (one was cancelled), contractors identified with Congressman Eulogio Rodriguez reportedly lost their bids to Al-Jon Construction Development Inc. (ACDCI), which won five with a total discounted bid of over P124.5 million. The other project was won by JD Construction with a discounted bid of P18.8 million.
In all, the two bidders submitted winning bids totaling P170.4 million, which if awarded would give the DPWH Catanduanes DEO total savings of P27 million or 15 percent of the approved budgets for the contract.
Shortly after the DPWH posted the supplemental bulletin on the cancellation of the Nov. 19, 2024 bidding, ACDI President and Chief Executive Officer Alexander C. Ang Hung sent a letter to District Engineer Simon N. Arias, requesting information or an explanation regarding the immediate cancellation of the published Invitation to Bid.
“(W)e are suspicious of the reasons behind, considering that the bidding conducted November 5, 2024 resulted with the winning contractor not aligned with the congressman’s favorite contractors,” he stated. “This act of cancellation is a manipulation of the conduct of bidding held by your office (and is) detrimental to local contractors.
Ang Hung reminded DE Arias that his office conducted biddings on Nov. 5 and 7 for various infrastructure projects, asking him why he did not cancel said bidding when the projects involved were also affected by Tropical Depression Kristine.