By Lorenz S. Marasigan
Just how much the government gained from the rebidding of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax) deal will be known today (Tuesday), when the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) opens the financial proposals of the two companies left to vie for the P55.5-billion contract.
There’s no turning back for the opening of the financial bids of both San Miguel Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., DPWH Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Officer in Charge Ariel C. Angeles said, after they passed the evaluation of their technical proposals on Monday.
“It’s a go,” he said in a brief text message sent on Monday afternoon, while the Special Bids and Awards Committee was still deliberating the results of the evaluation.
Industry players are expecting competitive bids; after all, both companies are frequent players in the government’s PPP Program.
Both are required to submit financial bids higher than P55.5 billion, an amount that when broken down, involves a P35.42-billion project cost, and a P20.1-billion premium.
It was the second time that the government launched a tender for the deal. The first one, although successful, was called out to be void by President Aquino himself.
The rebidding—criticized by business groups, both foreign and local —was launched to accommodate the petition of Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc., which allegedly offered P20.1 billion in premium payment to the government.
Team Orion of Ayala Corp. and Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. topped the original auction with a P11.33-billion offer on top of the project cost. Metro Pacific trailed behind by a hairline difference.
Mr. Aquino, who is the uncle of San Miguel chairman, decided to cancel the results of the initial auction, so the government could generate higher revenues from the bidding. This was tagged by businessmen as a money milking initiative that ultimately places ordinary commuters at the losing end.
Aside from MPCALA Holdings Inc. and Optimal, two other bidders earlier expressed their interest in vying for the deal. They backed out during the auction proper.
Winning the deal would allow Metro Pacific and San Miguel to further enhance their toll road businesses.