PASSI CITY, Iloilo, July 20 (PNA) — Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. will lead the groundbreaking ceremony here Tuesday, July 21 for the country’s biggest and longest farm-to-market road project in the Visayas.
The laying of time capsule for the rehabilitation of 28-kilometer Imbang Grande-Tagubong-Gemumua Agahon-Agtabo road in Passi City is a project under the Philippine Rural Development Program.
Funded by a loan from World Bank, the project has a budget of P264,013,000 and was awarded to IBC International Builders Corp. as the bidder with the lowest calculated responsive bid of P257,800,000.10.
The concreting of the road will be completed in two years or after 715 calendar days from the start of construction.
Once finished, it will directly serve 4,080 households (19,187 population) living in 10 remote villages namely, Imbang Grande, Talongonan, Jaguimitan, Salngan, Alimono, Magdungao, Tagubong, Agtabo, Dalicanan and Gemumua Agahon.
The project aims to provide easy access to transportation of swine and agricultural products such as, but not limited to, sugarcane, rice and corn in the area.
The provincial government, being the lead implementer, has invited construction firms nationwide to participate in the bidding of the multi-million road project on February 21.
A total of 51 firms purchased the bid documents according to the record from Bids and Awards Committee headed by Provincial Legal Officer Dennis Ventilacion.
But during the opening of bids held in the Iloilo Provincial Capitol last March 23, only 10 submitted their bids. Of the number, those with lowest bids were:
1. IBC International Builders Corp. – P257,800,000.10
2. MAC Builders – P260,118,388.79
3. Sunwest Construction and Development Corp. – P261,124,431.42
4. BSP & Company – P262,491,900.52
5. Premium Megatructure Inc. – P263,307,087.53
On April 13, BAC declared that IBC has the lowest calculated and responsive bid for the project and recommended that Defensor approve to award the contract to the post-qualified bidder.
Subsequently, a Notice of No Objection from World Bank was issued on June 8 provided that the project should be tightly monitored.
The Notice of Award was issued to IBC on June 15, while the Notice to Proceed as well as the contract was issued and signed on June 17.
Within 15 days from the effectivity of the contract, P38,670,000 or equivalent to 15 percent of the contract amount is expected to be paid to the contractor.
The advance payment shall be re-paid by the contractor from deductions in his progress billings until fully liquidated. Such progress billing shall be subjected to 10 percent retention money. (PNA)