Capitol equipment bidding: BAC ‘committed error’ in power conversion?

CEBU, Philippines – The Provincial Board’s Ad Hoc Committee on Bids and Awards has found some “discrepancies” in the bidding of the P250 million worth of heavy equipment that the Capitol intends to purchase.

In a meeting on Monday, the ad hoc body noted that Capitol’s Bids and Awards Committee committed error in its evaluation on the required specifications of the equipment.

Board Member Grecilda Sanchez, chairman of the ad hoc committee, relayed to the media that the BAC’s technical working group admitted that the computation of the engine’s power for a roller model offered by bidder Civic Merchandising Inc. was erroneous.

BAC disqualified Civic for failure to comply with the specifications, saying that the company offered 74 horsepower instead of the minimum 100.

But Sanchez, a mechanical engineer, explained that Civic actually offered 99 kilowatts engine power which is equivalent to 132.7 hp. She said the technical working group, in converting kilowatts to horsepower, used multiplication instead of division.

“When you convert 99 kilowatts into HP, it’s not 74 hp. It is 132 (hp). You are to divide the 99 kilowatts by 0.74, not multiply them because it will give you an answer of 74 (hp),” she told reporters.

Civic even pointed out the error committed by BAC in its motion for reconsideration, but the same was not granted.

In a copy of the BAC resolution denying Civic’s motion for reconsideration, the body cited another ground for the company’s disqualification – that it fell short of the required operation weight of the roller.

The ad hoc committee also questioned the preference of the BAC on the engine for a dump truck.

Sanchez said BAC chose a truck model with a small engine which may not be reliable in steep areas. The BAC, she said, contended that it was intended to save fuel.

“Kung dako ang load unya gamay ra ang makina, moutong gyod ang makina. Pasuwaya na’g padagan sa Transcentral (Highway),” she added.

Conequip was declared the winning bidder, besting RDAK, which offered the lower bid at P235 million and Civic’s P237 million. BAC post-disqualified RDAK and Civic as they did not meet the specification requirements.

Sanchez, however, said her committee’s report has yet to be finalized, after which, it will eventually be deliberated upon before the plenary on January 18.

By then, the legislative body would have to decide whether or not to grant Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III the authority to execute a contract with the winning bidder, she said.

Sanchez added that the findings of her committee might have a bearing on the decision of the body. — Michael Vencynth H. Braga/JMD (FREEMAN)