LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The appointed caretaker congressman of the province disclosed that appropriate representations will be done with Public Works Secretary Mark Villar the soonest to allow the over P1.2 billion worth of high-impact infrastructure projects mostly for Benguet to be bid out in the regional office of the public works department instead of the same being done in the central office.
Anti-Crime and Terrorism Through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap, Benguet’s caretaker congressman appointed by House Speaker Allan Peter Cayetano, underscored that since almost all of the affected projects are found in the jurisdiction of Benguet, the bidding and implementation of the same should not be compromised because it is the people who will suffer the consequences of having substandard roads thus it should be ensured only tried and proven contractors who will be awarded such multi-million projects.
Earlier, concerned local officials within the La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay towns questioned the unilateral decision of the DPWH-CAR Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) to transfer to the central office the conduct of the public bidding for the named projects without justifiable reasons but to suit the interest of the DPWH-CAR officials.
Under Supplemental Bid Bulletin No. 02, series of 2020 dated January 13, 2020, the BAC reportedly cancelled the procurement contracts of some 12 major projects within the BLISTT considering the alleged undated request and follow-up memorandum dated January 2, 2020 for the central office BAC for civil works to undertake the procurement of some 12 affected projects.
The Benguet caretaker congressman claimed there were issues that cropped up during the process that is why DPWH-CAR officials decided to elevate the matter to the central office although there is a need for the funds to be brought back to the region so that the office-in-charge will be the one to bid out the 12 projects.
The concerned BLISTT officials pointed out that if DPWH-CAR officials are doing this due to the questions of some of the contractors who are raising legitimate issues against the alleged questionable actions of the BAC in the previous conduct of public bidding for certain projects, the same should not be personally taken against the projects that have been programmed for the development of Benguet by making it difficult for qualified contractors to bid as the procurement process will now be undertaken by the central office and no longer the regional office.
According to them, it is unfortunate the implementation of priority development projects in their areas of jurisdiction is being unjustly delayed because of the transfer of the bidding venue when the same should have been already processed by the DPWH-CAR thus casting doubts on the sensitivity of some DPWH-CAR officials to the plight of the beneficiaries of development.
Earlier, some contractors questioned the action of the DPWH-CAR to outrightly disqualify them in the bidding of some multi-million infrastructure projects to allow their alleged favored contractors from outside the region to reportedly corner the juicy projects that had been provided funding by the agency.
By HENT
