After irregularity postponed it: DepEd to resume bidding of school furniture in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - After eight months of postponement due to alleged irregularity, the Department of Education-Cebu will finally resume the bidding process for the supply and delivery of school furniture in the province using the 2008 calendar year budget.

The documents made available to The FREEMAN disclosed that provincial office of the DepEd scheduled the bidding at 9:30 a.m. on December 2, 2009.

The first bidding, which was supposed to be held last March 23, 2009, was postponed because of the controversy involving top officials of the DepEd-Cebu and members of the Bids and Awards Committee.

Top officials of the DepEd-7, Cebu province and members of the BAC-Cebu province are now facing complaints before the Office of the Visayas Ombudsman because of their alleged involvement in the anomaly. They were accused of favoring a contractor and for the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the bidding process.

The DepEd-Cebu province, through calendar year 2008 appropriation, intends to use the sum of P14,536,220.00 being the Approved Budget for Contract to payments under the contract for supply and delivery of Calendar Year 2008 School Furniture. The amount was divided into three lots.

Of the amount, P3,594,020.00 is for the first lot, which is composed of Cebu’s second and sixth districts; P5,584,280.00 will be for the second lot, which is composed of the first and third districts and P5,357,920.00 will be for the third lot, covering the fourth and fifth districts.

For the December 2 bidding, DepEd said that bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. Bid documents said bidders are invited for the supply and door-to-door delivery of school furniture. Delivery of goods is required 120 calendar days per lot.

The DepEd-Cebu province will hold a pre-bid conference at 9:30 a.m. on November 20, at its Cebu province division office.

Some Cebu-based contractors have expressed support to the move of DepEd to implement the project by lot, instead of the previous that the bidding was for the whole amount where, they said, only one contractor could win the project. — Jose P. Sollano/WAB    (FREEMAN NEWS)