Second wave of city's "asphalt storm" due

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government is about to implement the second wave of the asphalt storm project in major city streets, thus the several proposals to resort to alternative mode of procurement to speed up the process.

The city is considering the applicability of contiguous or adjacent mode of procurement which is allowed under Section 53.4 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Republic Act 9184 of the Government Procurement Act.

‘Contiguous’ as a form of negotiated procurement “applies when the subject contract is adjacent or contiguous to an on-going infrastructure project… where the consultants have unique experience and expertise to deliver the required service.”

The first wave of the P100-million asphalt storm divided into four clusters is about to be completed and while the budget is available, the city government wants to immediately implement the second tranche to improve the road conditioning of identified priority areas.

Cebu City Administrator Jose Mari Poblete said that they are checking whether they can comply with the conditions of the law.

Under RA 9184, the conditions set to apply contiguous mode of procurement include the provision that “the original contract is the result of a competitive bidding, the subject contract to be negotiated has a similar or related scopes of work and it is within the same prices or lower unit prices as in the original contract less mobilization cost.”

The amount involved must not also exceed the amount of the on-going project and the contractor ha no negative slippage of records of delay.

Section 53.4 also further provided that the negotiations for the procurement must commence before the expiry of the original contract.

Poblete said that in some cases, contractors would agree because it is a shorter process since they do not have to go through the normal bidding process.

Using the contiguous method does not require the publication of the bidding, the pre-qualification, the post-evaluation, among others.

“With this, we can proceed directly with the negotiation of the price since technically, legally and financially, the contractors are already qualified,” Poblete said.

The second wave of the asphalt storm includes the asphalting of Lapu-Lapu Avenue, A. Villanueva St., Rahman St. from corner Sikatuna to Benedicto, Benedicto from Rahman to Jakosalem, Sepulveda from Sikatuna to Adolfo Store and R. Aboitiz St. to cost P13.3 million. Another cluster would be from Ganchang St., Cabreros St., Forest Hills, A. Gabuya St. and E. Sabellano St. to cost P17.5 million.

The asphalting of R. Padilla, from C. Padilla to N. Bacalso, Plaridel St. from Corner Magallanes to J. Leyson, Manalili St. from Corner Magallanes to J. Leyson and J.M. Basa St. from B. Aranas to Tupas St. will cost P14.1 million.

The asphalting of West Street Phase I, West Street Phase II, West Road, North 6th Road, East Road and East Road Phase I shall cost P14.5 million.    - (THE FREEMAN)