Something fishy at the DPWH

THE CORNER ORACLE

- ANDREW J. MASIGAN

It looks like the Department of Public Works and Highways is up to its old tricks again. This time, involving the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project, Phase 2.

For those unaware, the project involves the construction of a 24.5-kilometer highway, a 42.8-kilometer bridge or viaduct section and a 2.15-kilometer twin-tunnel section. The highway will have nine interchanges spanning Binangonan to Los Baños.

The project is an extension of Phase 1, a 37.5-kilometer highway that stretches from Bicutan to Calamba.

The ADB already approved a $1.7-billion loan facility for the project. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will participate with a $188.2-million loan. The project is set for completion in 2027.

The DPWH recently released the tender documents last Oct. 8. The tender documents are the basis from which bids of contractors are formulated. What is fishy is that the tender documents were released without a prior roadshow to properly introduce the project to contractors. Naturally, reputable contractors were caught unprepared to participate in the bidding process. Worse, the DPWH set the deadline for the initial submissions on Nov. 26, later extended to Dec. 17. Even the new deadline does not give ample time for contractors to formulate a proper bid.

Exacerbating matters is that the bidding documents provided by the DPWH lacked vital data on soil conditions. This is critical since the project is located in a geologically complex site. And while the project requires extensive environmental approvals, crucial documents like the Environmental Impact Assessment and the Environmental Compliance Certificate were not provided. Even the reports on community and fisherfolk impact were absent.