DPWH extends deadline for Lakeshore project

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is likely to extend the deadline for the submission of qualification documents for the Aquino administration’s largest public private partnership (PPP) project to give interested bidders more time.

DPWH Undersecretary Rafael Yabut said the agency’s Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) is set to recommend to Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson the extension of the Jan. 14 deadline for the submission of prequalification documents for the P123 billion Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike project (LLEDP).

“Definitely there will be an extension, it’s just the number of days or months,” Yabut said.

According to Yabut, at least six bidders have asked for extension ranging between 14 days and 90 days.

This would be the second extension to be granted by DPWH as it earlier postponed the deadline for the submission of prequalification documents to Jan. 14 from the original schedule of Oct. 16.

PPP Center executive director Cosette Canilao earlier reported that a total of 24 companies have expressed interest in the government’s largest PPP project.

These include JG Summit Holdings Inc., San Miguel Corp. (SMC), the Lucio Tan Group, Ayala Land Inc., Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), Megaworld Corp., GT Capital Holdings Inc., Filinvest Land Inc., Aboitiz Equity Ventures, and Filipino-owned Mega-wide Construction Corp.

The LLEDP involves the construction of a 47-kilometer flood control dike on top of which will be a high speed six-lane expressway starting from Taguig, passes through Muntinlupa and Calamba, and ends in Los Baños at its boundary with Bay, Laguna.

Likewise, the PPP project also includes the reclamation of about 700 hectares of foreshore and offshore areas, west of the dike, in Taguig and Muntinlupa.

Yabut pointed out that the timetable of the project would be affected by the second extension.

“Yes it will affect the bid submission deadline. But this should be the last extension. This is to get competitive bids,” he added.

The DPWH earlier intended to notify the prequalified bidders on Feb. 8 paving the way for the submission of bid proposals on July 6.

The DPWH intends to issue the Notice of Award on Aug. 4 paving the way for the signing of the concession agreement on Sept. 4.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board chaired by President Aquino approved the project last June 19.