MVP-Gokongwei group wants Korean firm out

The heat is on in the bidding of the P17.5 billion Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) expansion after the Pangilinan-Gokongwei partnership recently called for the disqualification of South Korea’s Incheon International Airport Corp (IIAC).

The Metro Pacific Investments Corp.- JG Summit Airport Consortium wrote the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) early this month questioning the partcipation of IIAC.

The Metro Pacific-JG Summit consortium claims that the ILAC, San Miguel Corp.’s partner in bidding for the airport project, has gained “undue advantage” over the other bidders considering that ILAC’s participation in the feasibility study and masterplan of the MCIA.

Pangilinan’s group said Incheon’s participation in the study would make it impossible for the the terminal project bidding to have a level playing field.

MCIA general manager Nigel Paul Villarete said  in a text message that the Prequalification, Bids and Awards Committee (PBAC) shall issue decisions and clarifications after a thorough deliberation on the issue.

“All queries and questions will be given due course. Clarifications and decisions of the PBAC  shall be issued once the committee has thoroughly deliberated on the merits. All stakeholders shall be duly notified accordingly,” Villarete said.

Villarete said that they would be expecting to award the winning bid by the end of this year after submission of prequalification documents closed last April 22.

He said the design construction of the project is expected to start next year.

The consortiums that are bidding aside from MPIC-JGS are Ayala Corporation and Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc’s partnership, Megawide Construction Corp in partnership with Indian company GMR Infrastructure Ltd., San Miguel Corp in partnership with Lucio Tan’s group, Lopez-owned First Philippine Holdings Corp, Filinvest Development Corp of the Gotianun family and Premier Airport Group of the Henry Sy’s SM Group.

Meanwhile, business leaders in Cebu said they were not concerned of ILAC’s participation in the airport project  as long as the bidding process would follow the proper procedure and be transparent.

BE TRANSPARENT

Gordon Alan Joseph, Cebu Business Club president, said he agreed with Pangilinan’s claims but he saw no problem with the Korean company’s participation in the bidding.

“It is true that they will have a competitive advantage. I do not see a problem if there is full disclosure of the results of the findings,” Joseph said.

Robert Lim Joseph, chairman emeritus of the National  Association of Independent Travel Agencies in the Philippines (Naitas), however, said that the DOTC or the bidding committee would have to review the terms of reference of the policy of bidding to make sure that all the seven consortiums would have equal footing in the bid.

Philip Tan, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, also emphasized transparency in the bidding process.

“The government must then be transparent and follow the standards in bidding that shall equalize parties and giving the best deal that will benefit the riding public,” Tan said.