DPWH extends deadline for CALA documents

MANILA, Philippines - Another major infrastructure project of the Aquino administration faces delay as bidders of the P35.4 billion expressway project that would interconnect the provinces of Cavite and Laguna sought more time to complete their qualification documents.

Public Works Undersecretary Rafael Yabut, issued Supplemental Bid Bulletin 3 postponing the deadline for the submission of qualification documents for the Cavite-Laguna (CALA) expressway project by a month.

 â€œIn response to the request of several prospective bidders for more time to prepare the qualification documents and in light of the recently released revisions to the Instruction to Prospective Bidders, the qualification documents submission date is moved from Sept. 23 to Oct. 23,” Yabut said.

The tollroad project is the fourth infrastructure project under the public private partnership (PPP) scheme to be delayed after the P60 billion Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT1) Cavite extension project, the P17.5 billion Mactan Cebu International Airport capacity expansion project, and the P1.72 billion automated fare collection system (AFCS) project.

Yabut, who also chairs the agency’s special bids and awards committee (SBAC), said prospective bidders of the CALA expressway project have until Oct. 14 to submit additional official queries about the project.

The deadline for the submission of the technical and financial bids of the prequalified bidders is on Dec. 27 and the government is set to issue the notice of award for the project on Jan. 3 next year.

About 15 companies have expressed interest in the project including the Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., diversified conglomerate San Miquel Corp., the Ayala Group’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. and Makati Development Corp., Cebu-based Aboitizland Inc., Megawide Engineering Excellence, the joint venture of Tokwing Construction Corp. and STX Enterprises ; the EFC Enterprises; M/s IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd (ITNL) as well as the L&T Infrastructure Development Projects Ltd.

Foreign groups that also expressed interest include Korea Expressway Corp., Alloy MTD Philippines Inc., Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte Limited, Leighton Contractors (Philippines) Inc., and EGIS Projects Developer of Infrastructure & Service.