10 firms show interest in SCTEX service areas

MANILA, Philippines - The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has named the 10 firms that have expressed interest in the development and lease of service areas along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

In a statement, BCDA president and chief executive officer Arnel Paciano Casanova said the 10 firms who bought the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the lease and development of the Concepcion and Macangcung service areas were: Sea Oil Phils., Inc.; Inbound Pacific Freeport, Inc.; Manila North Tollways Corp.; Sta. Maria Industrial Park, Corp.; FLG Management; Santeh Feeds Corp.; Phoenix Petroleum Phils., Inc.; Facilities, Inc.; Klean Fuel Auto LPG Refillers; and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.

“We are happy with the initial outcome of the public bidding process with 10 firms expressing interest in developing the lots. This just shows the attractiveness of the location for service areas, considering the increased traffic along the SCTEX,” he said.

The two service areas, which consist of two hectares each, are located in Barangay Santiago in Concepcion, Tarlac.

The Concepcion service area is located at the Clark-bound or south-bound direction of the Clark-Tarlac segment, while the Macangcung service area is located at the Clark-bound/north-bound direction of the Clark-Tarlac segment.

Each lot would be leased for 25 years and renewable for another 25 years upon agreement of the BCDA and the winning bidder.

BCDA Asset Disposition Program Committee chair Nena Radoc said the deadline for the submission of the bids for the project initially scheduled for Sept. 6 has been moved to Sept. 10.

She said interested firms must meet the minimum acceptable starting annual fixed lease for each service area which has been set at P2.240 million, effective on the second year of the lease and subject to an annual escalation of five percent.

A one-year grace period in the payment of the lease would be given to the winning bidder in order for it to put up the facilities in the service area such as gas station, restrooms, parking slots, emergency First Aid station, potable water and lighting system, emergency vehicle repair shop and convenience stores.

“The rent shall start from the day of actual operations or end of the one-year grace period, whichever comes first,” Radoc said.

She said that upon contract signing, the winning bidder should pay BCDA the fixed lease for the three years covering years two to four of the lease term.

Starting on the fifth year of the lease, the lease amount should be the higher of either the fixed lease, as adjusted based on five percent escalation rate per annum, or share in the revenues of the lessee from its operations and sub-lessees’ revenues, equivalent to 2.5 percent of net sales plus 0.15 percent share of net sales of petroleum products and lubricants.