Canadian firm wins DND ammunition bidding

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of National Defense (DND) Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) will recommend to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin the issuance of notices of award to a Canadian firm for the purchase of P388-million worth of ammunition and equipment.

BAC chairman Assistant Secretary Lamberto Sillona told The STAR they would recommend the awarding of two projects to Waterbury Farrel, a Canadian-based company under Magnum Integrated Technologies.

A notice of award would declare Waterbury Farrel as the winner of the bidding for the purchase of a multi-station bullet assembly machine worth P82 million and the 5.56 mm case manufacture cartridge assembly equipment amounting to P306 million.

The machines are to assemble ammunition used by the government’s security agencies. The end-user of these machines would be the Government Arsenal, which is attached to the DND.

BAC records showed that Waterbury Farrel offered a bid of P72.71 million for the multi-station bullet assembly machine, lower than the approved budget of P82 million.

For the cartridge assembly equipment, the company offered P263.14 million, way below the approved budget of P306 million.

The DND conducted the bidding for the two projects last June.

The contracts for the projects would be crafted after the issuance of a notice of award.

Gazmin will have to issue a notice to proceed before the Budget department releases the funds for the projects.

The DND is undertaking P120.91-million worth of projects this year, including the procurement of supplies and materials, communication expenses, advertising, printing and binding, rental of equipment, professional services, repair and maintenance, utilities and taxes.