Bidding for election-related services not yet complete–Comelec

MANILA, Philippines–The Commission on Elections has yet to complete the bidding process for a big bulk of election-related services to be used in the second nationwide automated elections next year. But it remained confident that it will be able to meet all the requirements by next month.

Of these items that have been bid out, only the contracts for marking pens and toners worth P45 million have been awarded to two qualified companies, according to a document from the Comelec’s special bids and awards committee (SBAC).

The P36.7-million contract for the marking pens was awarded to JV SPH Int. Corp. and Advance Paper Corp., which submitted a bid of P27.35 million while the P9.9-million contract for the toners was given to Optimal System Distribution Inc. after placing a bid worth P9.7 million.

The SBAC reported that the P400-million contract for warehouse services, the P405-million contract for transmission services and the P46.5-million project for the compact flash cards (worm) were still up for negotiations following two failed biddings.

Among the other election items that have yet to be awarded include the ballot boxes, ballot packaging and the thermal papers.

Records also showed that the SBAC was still conducting “post-qualification evaluation” on the P44.7 million bid submitted by Unison Computer System Inc. for the contract for the compact flash cards (main).

The total sum of all the service contracts related to the 2013 elections amount to over P7 billion.

But the Comelec was not worried, saying that it was still “on track” in their preparations for the May 2013 balloting.

“We already [consulted] with our Project Management Office and we were told that we are still on track,” said SBAC Chair Helen Flores. She also added that the committee was hopeful that it will be able to complete all the bidding requirements by December.