MANILA, Philippines - Three more companies joined the long list of prospective bidders for the P35.4-billion expressway project that would interconnect the provinces of Cavite and Laguna, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said yesterday.
Companies that have expressed interest in the project under the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme include CM Pancho Construction Inc., Bouygues Travaux Publics as well as the tandem of Pacific Concrete Inc. and China Harbor Engineering.
DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said the proposed toll road has so far attracted a total of 18 companies including several foreign firms that would result in the formation of competitive and strategic alliances.
“DPWH anticipates bid proposals will be more competitive which will result into better bid offers,†Singson said.
The agency has extended the deadline of the submission of pre-qualification documents to Oct. 23 instead of Sept. 23 to give the bidders particularly foreign firms sufficient time to prepare and deliver the requirements needed for the submission of their pre-qualification documents.
Companies from Singapore, Korea, France, India, and China bought bid documents.
“The entry of foreign investors into the P35 billion road project will also result to competitive strategies and alliances formed into consortiums that will require additional time to complete,†he said.
According to him, the foreign companies might face difficulty in complying on the given timelines as they are unfamiliar with the process including the authentication of documents.
The tollroad would provide a more convenient and faster route to or from Metro Manila to the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (Calabarzon) region. The provinces of Cavite and Laguna are now considered as among the most industrialized and urbanized areas in the country as both have been home to international and multinational electronic, semiconductor, automotive and manufacturing companies.
These provinces also serve as catchment areas for the residential population of Metro Manila resulting in traffic congestion on the major road networks in the area, particularly on the Aguinaldo Highway, Governor’s Drive, and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road.