Sole bidder for Southern Leyte port upgrade project disqualified

THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has declared a bid failure for the upgrade works at the Port of San Juan in Southern Leyte after the sole bidder failed to meet the formatting requirements of the bid submission.

“The lone bidder for the project, R.A. Bensig Construction & General Services, was declared disqualified for its failure to comply with the bid submission required,” according to a Jan. 23 memorandum approved by PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago.

The project involves the improvement and expansion of the port operational area and construction of other facilities. The contractor will also be tasked with the construction of a passenger shed, pumphouse, powerhouse, and guardhouse. The contract package has an approved budget of P51.26 million, according to the PPA.

The lone bidder was declared “ineligible” because of deficiencies in its bid, according to the Bids and Awards Committee.

“Each bidder shall submit one original and six copies of the technical and financial proposals, properly labeled, book-bound, with hard cover and corresponding index tab, (but the) R.A. Bensig Construction & Services submitted its technical proposals with plastic cover, not book-bound, and without index tabs,” the committee said in its resolution.

Mr. Santiago has approved the recommendation to re-bid the contract.

The PPA is committed to modernizing port infrastructure to improve the user experience for shippers, the sea-going public, and tourists.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said in a report that more investment is needed in maritime supply chains, including ports, shipping fleets, and hinterland connections, to boost sustainability and prepare for future global crises.

The Philippines was one of many countries that experienced serious vessel delays and container shortages during the pandemic.

In his first State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said that his administration will work on improving the transportation system and modernize seaports to maximize the Philippines’ strategic location in the Pacific. —