SMC-led group tops bid for P24-B Bulacan bulk water project

MANILA, Philippines - The consortium of San Miguel Corp. and Korea Water Resources Corp. submitted the best offer for the P24.4 billion Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project bid out by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Center announced late Tuesday.

The SMC-K Water consortium offered the lowest bulk water charge per cubic meter at P8.50 per cubic meter, beating the offers of P9.75 per cubic meter by Prime-Alloy Water Consortium and Team Polaris-Manila Water Consortium’s P10.65 per cubic meter.

The bid parameter for the project is the lowest bulk water charge per cubic meter that Bulacan water districts would have to pay the private proponent.

Prime- Alloy Water Consortium  comprises Prime Water Infrastructure Corp., MTD Capital BHD and Biwater International Ltd. while Team Polaris is made up of Manila Water Co. Inc., M.E Sicat Construction and J.H Patawaran Construction.

The PPP Center said the bid results would be subject to further evaluation before the issuance of the notice of award.

The MWSS is expected to officially award the project to the winning bidder next month, the PPP Center said.

The winning bidder will finance the project and undertake the detailed design and construction. It will also maintain the conveyance facilities, treatment facilities and water source during a 32-year concession period.

The bulk water project will help 24 water districts in Bulacan to meet the increasing water demand of their consumers and expand their service area coverage.

The Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project is one of the two water projects of the MWSS under the PPP scheme, the other being the P18.72 billion New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project which has so far attracted six bidders.