By means of Ashley Erika O. Jose, Reporter
THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) will appoint Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc. awarding the P4.53 billion contract for the operation and maintenance of the New Bohol-Panglao International Airport after no bids were received before the Nov. 11 deadline, an official said.
“No challenge was filed by any challenger during the competitive challenge period for this project,” Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John R. Batan, chairman of the Committee on Pre-Qualification Bids and Awards, announced Monday.
He said the bidding and award committee recommended that the award notice be issued to the original proponent of the project.
According to the DOTr’s schedule, the award notice to the winning bidder will be issued on November 28 and the official handover of the airport’s operation and maintenance to the private operator will take place on June 22, 2025.
“Given that we have not received a comparative proposal for this project, we hereby recommend that we proceed with the next step, which is to submit the recommendation to the heads of agencies for issuing a notice of award to the original proponent,” the bids said. and the awards committee said.
The concession agreement for the new Bohol-Panglao International Airport has a term of 30 years, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center said.
The contract includes upgrades, expansion and maintenance of the airport within a period of 30 years from the start of turnover.
The project is one of the government’s key infrastructure initiatives for 2024.
‘If there is no challenger, yes [we will be awarded] the contract. We are bringing a foreign partner with us. It is part of the government’s requirements to have a technical service provider,” Aboitiz told InfraCapital President and Chief Executive Officer Cosette V. Canilao. Business world last week.
“This was expected and further strengthened my position that large and complex infrastructure projects, when implemented through PPP, should be better procured through the solicited mode rather than waiting for unsolicited proposals,” said Nigel Paul C. Villarete, Senior Advisor public-private partnerships at said technical advisory group Libra Konsult, Inc. in a Viber message.
He said while unsolicited PPP projects are acceptable, it would be more beneficial for the government to handle large infrastructure projects with complex operations, such as airports, through a solicited process due to the specialized expertise required.
“This will attract the interest of many potential proponents as they will come to the bids from an equal and balanced position,” he added.
“The government should examine whether proceeding with this unsolicited proposal will ultimately be beneficial to the government and the public, given the success of the NAIA rehabilitation tender in reducing the overall cost of the project,” said Terry L . Ridon, a public investment analyst and chairman of InfraWatch PH.
More airports are expected to be privatized next year, including Iloilo, Puerto Princesa and Kalibo airports.
The Aboitiz Group’s infrastructure arm will also take over the operation and maintenance of the P12.75 billion Laguindingan International Airport in Misamis Oriental next year.
The group is partnering with Ireland-based daa International to upgrade and operate the Laguindingan International Airport in Northern Mindanao.
The DOTr earlier said it expects to launch the tender for Davao International Airport under a PPP program.
“We are going to look at the conditions. We will certainly review the scope of the term,” said Ms. Canilao of Aboitiz Group in response to a question on the company’s interest in bidding for Davao Airport.
Villar-led Prime Asset Ventures, Inc. has the original proponent status for both P14.7 billion Iloilo International Airport and P10.24 billion Puerto Princesa International Airport, according to the PPP Center’s website.
Meanwhile, Mega7 Construction Corp. submitted an unsolicited proposal to operate, upgrade and maintain the P3.62 billion Kalibo International Airport.