Provincial Board to endorse bidding anomaly to Ombudman

CEBU, Philippines – The alleged irregularities in the bidding and manufacture of armchairs, teacher’s tables and desks worth P17 million for certain schools in the province of Cebu caught the attention of the members of the Provincial Board.

The PB has passed a resolution endorsing the concern to the Office of the Visayas Ombudsman for investigation and prosecution.

As this developed, another resolution was also passed by the board “convoking a committee of the whole of the PB to conduct an ocular inspection at some public schools in the province where the alleged defective armchairs, teacher’s tables and desks”.

PB member Victor Maambong introduced the resolution, co-sponsored by PB member Juan Bolo, chairman of the committee on education.

During the session, Bolo manifested that representatives of the JEC Lumber Corporation and the Ramagal Door and Sash Manufacturing visited his office recently and informed him the real situation over the alleged irregularities in the bidding of the P17-million project.

Despite the fact that JEC Lumber and Ramagal were the first and second lowest bidders respectively, the project was awarded to the third lowest bidder, Gala Industries Inc., Bolo said.

He also said he was informed that funds allocated came not from the provincial government but from the national government.

Bolo assured he would refer the complaint to the Visayas Ombudsman.

Maambong added that aside from the issue on the bidding process, there are also the alleged substandard and defective items.

The FREEMAN received complaints from parents and teachers that the items delivered to their schools late last year and early this year allegedly “failed to follow the specifications”.

“With defective and unsightly flaws that can be attributed to no other reason than that of the contractor who supplied them and the school authorities who allowed them so may have forged an entente of venality,” the PB resolution read.

Maambong cited the case in Jugan Elementary School of Consolacion town and in Kagay Elementary School of Barili town - just two venues to show examples from the north and south of Cebu province – where desks and chairs outside the classrooms are piled up like “carcasses of prehistoric creatures, a brutal showcase of public money squandered for fruitless endeavor”.

Members of the PB agreed the need for the Ombudsman to look into these alleged irregularities of the transactions of the Department of Education-Cebu Province Division.

This paper learned that these deliveries are part of the “2007 Desks Armchair Project” of the said office.

It was also learned that Gala Industries, Inc. was represented by Sarah Galang, the daughter-in-law of its owner, Pedro Galang Jr.

Bidding for school armchairs and desks was conducted on July 21, 2008.

Based on the documents gathered by The FREEMAN, each armchair cost P780, P2,000 for each set of elementary table and chairs, and P4,600 for a set of teacher’s table and chair.

In a check made by this paper at the DepEd-Provincial Office after receiving information on the alleged irregularities, it was learned that JEC Lumber submitted a bid amounting to P17.228 million while Ramagal submitted a bid for P17.350 million.

Gala Industries, Inc. submitted a bid for P17,760,750.

However, JEC and Ramagal were disqualified by the BAC for their alleged poor performances in previous projects.

Members of the BAC said that the two disqualified bidders allegedly submitted defective papers and false information which became the basis for their disqualification.

The two contractors, in their motion for reconsideration, denied the allegations of the BAC and claimed that they have complied with the requirements and have even paid penalties.

When the winning bidder delivered the items, the teachers noticed that nails, instead of bolts and screws, were used in the armchairs and desks. There were also reportedly some missing handles in the teacher’s tables which were supposed to be included based on the specifications.

But Judiana Corriente, chairman of the BAC, insists that there weren’t any irregularities during the bidding. — Jose P. Sollano/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)