Curbing abuses

We have to admit that that the VIP privileges at the Nino Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have been greatly abused in the past.

Intended for dignitaries and other very important passengers, even non-VIPs could bypass regular airport procedures using these VIP courtesies that can be availed of for a low price of P800.

To curb its misuse, the New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), the private operator of NAIA, has introduced a new protocol for handling courtesies and accommodations for very important persons (VIPs), important persons (IPs) and passengers requesting for VIP treatment at the airport. This will replace all previous arrangements effective immediately.

I’m sure people who have made lots of money under the previous arrangement, are not too happy about these changes. These people have made escorting passengers as VIPs big business at NAIA.

According to NNIC, the old practices not only created potential security vulnerabilities but also led to operational inefficiencies and an unfair advantage for those who could afford to pay.

Under the new protocol, VIP courtesies and accommodations will now be exclusively handled by NNIC’s VIP assistance personnel. Non-passengers will no longer be permitted to provide meet-and-greet services or accompany departing VIPs and IPs. VIP entourages will be limited to essential personnel to ensure efficient processing and reduce disruptions.

Also, access/annual passes previously issued for facilitation purposes will be evaluated on a per-case basis, replacing the previous annual pass system.

Meanwhile, NNIC will introduce tailored fees for passengers not classified as VIPs or IPs but seeking similar services such as international performers and other high-profile passengers. This is consistent with global practices at major airports where premium services are priced at a higher rate, to limit requests while ensuring availability for those who really require them, it said.

NNIC said that it will continue to provide secure and efficient travel service for VIPs and IPs, which include high-ranking officials, dignitaries and foreign representatives.

To improve NAIA and make it world-class and at par with international standard, NNIC has increased vehicle parking fees as well as aircraft landing and takeoff charges. Terminal fees are also set to go up September of next year but overseas Filipino workers will still be exempt from paying international departure fees. Fees and charges at NAIA have not changed since 2000.

People blame NNIC. But what they seem to ignore is the fact that even before NNIC took over the operation and rehabilitation of NAIA last Sept. 14, it was government, through the Department of Transportation and the Manila International Airport Authority, that approved all the regulated fee increases. These increases also formed part of the terms of reference for the bidding conducted by the DOTr for the NAIA public-private partnership project.

More than 82 percent of future gross revenues, excluding passenger service charges, will go to the government and only around 17 percent to NNIC.

Something fishy at BFAR

Is something fishy going on?

Questions have been raised about the propriety of the postponement of the bidding for new vessels worth P2.1 billion by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) since the postponement was not announced publicly by the special bids and awards committee.

According to lawyer Faye Singson, former assistant prosecutor at the Office of the Ombudsman, who is said to be counsel of a company that was unfairly excluded from the bidding process, if the postponement is not announced publicly, some bidders may have an unfair advantage over others which can lead to allegations of favoritism or corruption.

The projects under Bid Reference 2024-62 and 2024-63 involve the acquisition of multi-mission offshore vessels, refrigerated cargo vessels, and steel-hulled fishing vessels, with a total budget of P2.1 billion.

Singson said the postponements can also delay the procurement process, which can have negative consequences for the government agency or entity involved.

She explained that by postponing the opening of bids to Oct. 15 instead of Oct. 11 this year, the procurement process exceeded the 52 working day prescribed timeline by the implement rules of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

Section 8 of RA 9184 requires that all procurement activities be conducted in a fair, transparent, and competitive manner. Postponing bid opening without proper notice can violate this principle, she said.

Section 10 meanwhile outlines the procedures for conducting biddings, including the requirement for public notice and the issuance of supplemental bid bulletins for any changes to the bidding process while Section 15 deals with the opening of bids and requires that it be conducted in public.

During last Thursday’s bidding, Singson also questioned the BFAR SBAC for allegedly prohibiting observers including members of the media.

She said she has informed Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. that the SBAC members have violated several provisions of the Government Procurement Reform Act.

Singson said that to enhance the transparency of the bidding process, the bids and awards commitee is mandated to invite, in addition to the representative of the Commission on Audit, at least two observers in its proceedings.

To promote transparency and efficiency, information and communications technology should be utilized in the conduct of procurement procedures as stated in the law. There must also be a single portal that will serve as the primary source of information on all government procurement.

The bid opening conducted Thursday morning should be also viewed through videoconferencing or webcasting via Zoom but Singson revealed that the BFAR-SBAC secretariat did not provide them any link in order that the qualified bidders could participate in the video conferencing.

Singson also alleged that the technical specifications were supplied by one favored bidder and that the one who prepared the specs did not conduct extensive study to allow the participation of other local shipbuilders.

She revealed that the technical specifications for both biddings were directly supplied by one favored bidder, who was at the same time also the exclusive distributor of the required specifications (GPS, Echo So under, and VHF Marine Radio, offering the Raymarinebrand) preventing other possible suppliers from offering other brands. Should other bidders decide to participate, they will be forced to buy from the favored bidder, allegedly the exclusive distributor of the required brands of BFAR, she said.

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