CITY BIDS OUT FUNDS FOR 2018 TRASH HAUL OPERATIONS EARLIER

Amount of P150M is part of P313M approved funds for 2018 garbage collection

To ensure that hauling of garbage will not stop as 2018 starts, the bids and awards committee (BAC) of the Cebu City Government will start on Dec 12 the pre-bidding of garbage hauling services, for which the City has budgeted P150 million for next year.

The amount forms part of the P313-million approved budget for garbage collection and disposal next year.

BAC Chairman Ronald Malacora said the P150 million will cover the first six months of garbage hauling next year and another bidding will be done before its contract will expire.

“We scheduled the bidding earlier because we don’t want to experience another delay next year just like what happened this year. We prepared everything ahead,” he told SunStar Cebu.

BAC did two emergency procurements in December last year and in July this year due to the closure of Inayawan Sanitary Landfill and a time crunch.

Under the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Act, negotiated procurement to a technically, legally and financially capable supplier is allowed during several cases.

It includes emergency cases, which states that “in case of imminent danger to life or property during a state of calamity or when time is of the essence arising from man-made or natural calamities, or the other causes where immediate action is necessary to prevent damage to or loss of public utilities.”

Although the City is not in the state of emergency due to a calamity, but it has to resort to emergency procurement because there is an immediate need to hire a service provider to avoid problems that may arise due to uncollected garbage.

After the pre-bidding, BAC has scheduled the opening of bids on Dec. 26. If there will be no problem, Malacora said they can award the contract two days after. At present, Jomara Konstruct Corp. is hauling the City’s garbage P 1,296 tipping fee per ton of garbage hauled until Dec. 31. /

Cebu City BAC did two emergency procurements in 2017 due to the closure of Inayawan landfill. Under the revised Procurement Act, negotiated procurement is allowed in cases of emergency.