THE Transportation department has started seeking bidders for the detailed design and construction contract of the China-funded Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Long Haul Project (Banlic to Daraga package).
“The Department of Transportation of the Republic of the Philippines intends to apply a loan to People’s Republic of China amounting to P142.481 billion being the approved budget of the contract to payments under the design and build contract for PNR South Long Haul Project (Package 1, Banlic to Daraga),” the department said in its invitation to bid.
“Bidders shortlisted by the government of the People’s Republic of China may obtain further information from the Department of Transportation,” it added.
The P175-billion PNR South Long Haul Project, also known as PNR Bicol, is a 639-kilometer railway system connecting Manila to Legazpi, Matnog, Sorsogon, and Batangas City.
The Transportation department said shortlisted bidders may obtain a complete set of bid documents on June 4 upon payment of the applicable fees.
A pre-bid conference will be conducted on June 11.
The Bids and Awards Committee Secretariat will accept bids on or before 10 a.m., June 25, 2021, at its office in Paco, Manila.
Bid opening will be conducted immediately after the deadline for submission of bids lapses.
The bidding format was described as “limited competitive bidding” using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.
“Only those bids that passed the technical proposals criteria will be subjected to the second step of evaluation or the opening of financial proposals,” it said.
The department requires completion of the works within 36 months.
Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the project within the last 20 years.
The department, according to its website, expects partial operations in the second quarter of 2022, while full operability is expected in 2025.
The project, once completed, will support economic growth and benefit 100,000 passengers per day, the department said.
“It will cut travel time from Manila to Bicol from 12 hours via car to just six hours,” it added. — Arjay L. Balinbin
