By Eva C. Visperas

 

WAITING for an update regarding the Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEX)?

Here it is. During last Monday’s session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Vice Gov. Mark Lambino announced two things.

First, he said that the Joint Venture Selection Committee approved the tender documents or the bid docs last week.

What are these tender documents? These are documents that are attached when someone buys bidding documents for a certain project. Those familiar with competitive bidding process know this.

Second, he said the publication for notice to the public for competitive bidding was also approved. It will be published this first week of June and from there, the public is informed that an entity or group, which is San Miguel Corporation, has submitted an original proposal. (That’s why it has the original proponent status).

And if there are any other parties that are interested to look into that project, they can purchase the bid documents from the provincial government. They are given 120 days to submit their own proposal, Vice Gov Mark explained.

He clarified that it’s not a counter proposal because it’s a blind proposal under the Swiss Challenge “so they don’t know the actual proposal of the original proponent”. That’s how the competitive bidding process works in Swiss Challenge, he said.

This means others have an equal chance to submit their proposal which will also be evaluated by the Joint Venture Selection Committee. It is not San Miguel that will automatically build it, he stressed.

But what if there are no other group/s that intend to take part in the Swiss Challenge? He said 30 days from the first publication, the bidding process will be closed and the selection committee will be given a week to formally award the project to the original proponent because no group or entity challenged it.

In short, if there are no other proposals after the lapse of the publication period then the original proponent would be given preference and be awarded the contract, Vice Gov. Lambino stressed.

But how will the province gain from it since the province will not have an equity? He said the provincial government will not shell out “maski singkong duling sa project na yan”.

But, he stressed, adding “the province will get in return for that project is eventually, at the end of contract period, we will gain ownership of the project”.

How long? Well, that will be part of the terms, he smiled.

What else will the provincial government get? He replied: The provincial government will earn shares from the revenues which is also stated in the proposal of the bidders.

So, what happens to the P1-billion or more supposed amount from the P6-B omnibus loan recently availed by the provincial government from Land Bank of the Philippines to finance big and important projects under the Guico administration, including the construction of the PLEX, formerly known as Pangasinan East West Expressway (PEWEX) project initial construction?

He said it remains intact up to now and it can be transferred to other equally big and important infra projects of the present administration.

From TPLEX (Tarlac Pangasinan La Union Expressway), phase 1 of the project will most likely start between Binalonan and Pozorrubio towards Lingayen, phase 2 will be from Lingayen going to Alaminos. It’s a two-phase project.

Let’s watch for the next 40 days.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments