MANILA, Philippines — Big brother may yet see the light of day in the country’s premier airport in 2016.
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) could have a P486-million closed-circuit TV (CCTV) system installed within the year if the airport authority seals the deal in the first quarter.
Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) senior assistant general manager and bids and awards committee (BAC) chairman Vicente Guerzon Jr. said that the final bid proposal negotiation has been scheduled for the first week of March.
The MIAA’s BAC resorted to the alternative mode of procurement for the installation and commissioning of CCTV and surveillance systems at the NAIA complex after two failed biddings in August, 2014 and in February, 2015 for the project.
Guerzon said the BAC invited 11 previous bidders from the two failed biddings for the negotiated procurement of the state-of-the art surveillance system at the NAIA complex.
“They (11 firms) were prequalified in the technical and eligibility requirements with established deadlines,” he pointed out.
But, he said, only one bidder was “qualified within the set deadlines” and submitted a financial bid to the BAC. The remaining bidder was asked to submit its final offer, which will be discussed in March.
Under a negotiated contract, Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act provides for the procuring agency to ensure that “the most advantageous price for the government” is obtained.
No provision in Republic Act 9184 bars participants in failed biddings to take part in negotiated procurement, with the law fostering fair competition.
Guerzon previously expressed hope that the technologically advanced monitoring system would be set up soon and replace the existing antiquated NAIA surveillance equipment, which date back to the 1990s.
He also said that an upgraded surveillance system would be vital to the airport, apart from having personnel providing airport security, as it would “help a lot by relaying real-time information and provide footage after any incident.”
The project, which has an approved budget of P486,587,684, has a duration of 240 calendar days or approximately eight months from the date the notice of award as well as the order to proceed are issued.
Based on the specifications for the CCTV system, it should have an analytical function which includes facial recognition and visual enhancement, and an intrusion detection function, which reads heat signatures.
Under the contract, over 700 security cameras will be installed in the NAIA terminals 1, 2 and 4, including the parking areas, vehicular entry checkpoints, perimeters, and the Airport Police Department headquarters leaving no blind spot in the entire airport complex.
The deal will also entail the setup of independent monitoring hubs for each terminal, which will be hooked up to a command operations center.
Honrado and other MIAA officials were charged in November last year with graft in the Office of the Ombudsman for undertaking negotiated procurement for the surveillance system project.
But the MIAA maintained that the process was above board and that the negotiated procurement was the result of the two failed biddings for the project. SFM