DOTC sets pre-bid meeting on P19-B Davao port PPP

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications will hold consultations and a pre-bid conference with groups eligible to bid for the P19 billion Davao-Sasa port modernization project later this month.

The pre-bid conference for the public private partnership project is scheduled on Oct. 26 while the first round of one-on-one consultations with the pre-qualified bidders will be held from Oct. 27 to 29.

Among the groups that were pre-qualified by the DOTC to bid for the PPP project are Asian Terminals Inc.-DP World FZE consortium, Bollore Africa Logistics, International Container Terminal Services Inc., Portek International Pte. Ltd., National Marine Corp. consortium with contractor Toyo Construction Co. Ltd.; and San Miguel Holdings Corp.-APM Terminals Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd. consortium with Hyundai Development Co. and Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd. as contractors.

Prior to the consultations, the initial site visit for the project will be on Oct. 19 to 23.

Bidders have until Oct. 21 to provide comments on the draft concession agreement for the project.

The project, which will have a cooperation period of 30 years, involves the development of the existing Davao Sasa Port into a modern international-standard container terminal to improve trade access to Mindanao and the Philippines.

The winning bidder shall finance the construction and modernization of the existing port.

It will likewise be handling the operations and maintenance of the facility.

The DOTC earlier said it was looking to have the submission and opening of bids in the fourth quarter with the awarding of the project targeted in April next year.

The project is seen to address the estimated six percent annual increase in container traffic in the Davao region over the next 25 years.