Bidding for P5.4-B helicopter deal set on April 24

MANILA, Philippines - The bidding process for the acquisition of two anti-submarine helicopters worth P5.4 billion will start this week, the Department of National Defense (DND) said yesterday.

The procurement of the helicopters is expected to boost the country’s maritime defense capabilities.

A bid bulletin obtained by The STAR showed the bidding would be held on April 24.

The DND will have the bid invitation published this week to formally start the bidding process for the project that will cover the integrated logistics support for the helicopters including training for naval pilots.

“The two anti-submarine helicopters are primarily ship-based helicopters with mission essential equipment,” Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic told The STAR.

This will be the first time for the government to acquire anti-submarine helicopters.

The bidding will be conducted through a two-stage open competitive procedure, due to the technical aspects of the air assets.

It will be open to local and foreign companies subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the implementing rules of the procurement law.

A complete set of bidding documents will be available next month for a non-refundable fee of P75,000.

A pre-bid conference for the project has been tentatively scheduled on April 10 at Camp Aguinaldo. The conference will allow bidders to ask questions about the projects’ terms.

The deadline for the submission of bids will be on April 24. The bids will be opened on the same day. Those that are higher than the approved budget of P5.4 billion will be rejected.

The delivery of goods or the contract duration is 730 calendar days based on the bid documents of the project.

The anti-submarine helicopter acquisition project is one of the big-ticket items in the military’s upgrade program.

President Aquino announced the acquisition of the helicopters during the graduation of the Philippine Military Academy Class 2014 early this month.