Seaport PPP project lures 4 more bidders

The first seaport Public Private Partnership (PPP) project of the Aquino administration lured four more bidders including three world-renowned companies, bringing to five the interested groups in the P17 billion Davao Sasa port modernization project.

Michael Arthur Sagcal, spokesperson of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), said the project has lured Madrid-based OHL Group through Obrascon Huarte Lain (OHL) SA, Frenchowned Bollore SA, and Portek Systems and Equipment Pte Ltd of Singapore.

The OHL group operates in 30 countries across all five continents and is ranked as the 31st largest international contractor in the world and 6th in Latin America while the Bollore Group founded in 1822 is one of the 500 largest companies in the world and is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, focusing on transportation and logistics; communication and media; and electricity storage and solutions.

On the other hand, Portek has offices in nine countries throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia. It is a subsidiary of Mitsui & Co. Ltd of Japan.

Sagcal said the Floirendo family’s Davao International Container Terminal also bought bid documents for the project.

According to Sagcal, the four companies joined San Miguel Corp. (SMC) in the list of companies that bought bid documents for the PPP project.

Submission of qualification documents is on June 30 and the announcement of qualified bidders is on July 15. Submission of bids is scheduled on Dec. 7 and the issuance of Notice of Award is on Dec. 21.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has tapped the International Finance Corp. (IFC) of the World Bank (WB) as well as the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to act as the transaction advisors for the two-stage bidding to be conducted in accordance with the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law.

The PPP project covers the modernization of the exiting port and the establishment of a dedicated container handling facilities with an initial design capacity of 1,900 container ground slots to a minimum of 2,700 container ground slots.

It also involves the construction of a new apron, development of a linear quay, expansion of back-up area, provision of container yards and warehouses as well as the installation of appropriate container handling equipment.

The winning bidder would operate and maintain the Davao Sasa port for a period of 30 years.