LRTA defers bid deadline for LRT2 maintenance

MANILA, Philippines - The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) has extended by a month the deadline for the submission of bids for the maintenance contract of the Light Rail Transit line 2 (LRT2).

Hernando Cabrera, LRTA spokesman, said in a text message that the deferment of the deadline for the submission of bids was aimed at giving interested bidders more time to prepare their bids and to familiarize the new members of the Bids and Awards Committee – Rail of LRTA.

 “The extension was due to the new composition of the BAC – Rail plus the time involved was inherently short,” Cabrera said.

LRTA BAC-Rail chairman Jose Jobel Belarmino issued Supplemental Bid Bulletin No. R11-B deferring the deadline for the submission of bids for the project to Aug. 29 instead of July 25.

 “To enable and afford the newly designated BAC – Rail the necessary time to evaluate and study all bidding documents as they are mandated to oversee and manage the orderly conduct of the instant procurement, the deadline for the submission and opening of bids set on July 25 is moved to August 29,” Belarmino said.

Eight foreign and local companies have expressed interest in the maintenance contract. These include construction giant DM Consunji Inc., Marubeni Corp. of Japan, Autre Porte Technique Global Inc., Global Epcom Services Inc., Busan Transportation Corp. of Korea, Comm Builders & Technology Phils. Corp., Telefonika Inc. as well as the tandem of Multi-Scan Corp. and Hyundai Rotem Corp. of Korea.

The winning bidder would replace the TSPA consortium consisting of Telefonika, STIV, Pacific, and APT Global.

Earlier, the DOTC has tapped the consortium of Foresight Development and Surveying Company, Soosung Engineering Co. Ltd., and Korea Rail Network Authority for a P240.78 million consulting/engineering services for civil works for the P9.7-billion LRT2 east extension project.

The LRT-2 east extension plan entails the extension of the existing 13.8-kilometer LRT-2 from Recto to Santolan. The proponent would put up a 4.14-kilometer extension eastward from the existing Santolan Station at Marcos Highway, terminating at the intersection of Marcos Highway and Sumulong Highway.

The total cost of the construction of existing LRT2 from Recto to Santolan was placed at over P33 billion. It started in 1997 with government funding and official development assistance (ODA) loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

Likewise, the LRTA is also bidding out a P423.2 million contract for the maintenance of the 20.7-kilometer elevated LRT1 from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt in Quezon City. Interested bidders were given until Aug. 13 to submit their bids.