ACWD assistant manager Engr. Boy Mallari (left) poses with Balibago Waterworks Systems, Inc. executives Marwin Manaloto and Kathlien Salonga shortly after acquiring eligibility for a joint venture undertaking with the former on Tuesday. Photo by Ashley Manabat
BALIBAGO WATERWORKS held a press conference at 8:00 am today to announce that it is applying for eligibility to submit a comparative proposal for a Joint Venture Undertaking with the Angeles City Water District (ACWD).
Balibago Waterworks is a private water utility that has been in operations for 62 years and currently has 68 municipal franchises in over 22 provinces throughout Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The company began operations in 1958 with the purpose of providing water supply and distribution services in Brgy. Balibago in Angeles City and Brgy. Dau in Mabalacat City, Province of Pampanga.
Two of the company’s representatives, Vice-President for Accounting Marwin Manaloto and Area Manager Kathlien Salonga, proceeded to the office of ACWD at 9:00 am to officially purchase the eligibility documents, which were being sold for the price of Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP 500,000.00). The deadline to purchase said documents is 12:00 noon of February 11, 2020.
Balibago Waterworks Senior Vice-President Criselle Panlilio-Alejandro shared that she learned about the INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO SUBMIT COMPARATIVE PROPOSALS (IAESP) when one of their employees who lives in the service area of ACWD was paying his water bill, and he saw the IAESP posted in the ACWD office bulletin board. He took screenshots of the bidding rules and forwarded it to Ms. Alejandro.
The bidding was posted on February 4, 2020 and the project is the FINANCING, DEVELOPMENT, REHABILITATION, REFURBISHMENT, EXPANSION, IMPROVEMENT, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE WATER SUPPLY AND SEPTAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF THE ANGELES CITY WATER DISTRICT and the total project cost is One Billion Three Hundred Forty-Seven Million Five Hundred Thirty-Three Thousand Eighty-Five Pesos (PhP 1,347,533,085.00).
According to the IAESP, “negotiations ensued between ACWD and Original Proponent on the JV Proposal. Subsequently, an agreement was reached between ACWD and Original Proponent to form an unincorporated joint venture to undertake a JV Project… In compliance with ACWD Board
Resolution 2, s. 2020, ACWD, through its Joint Venture Selection Committee (JVSC), invites interested Private Sector Participant/s (IPPs) to challenge the JV Proposal by submitting a comparative proposal for the project.” However, the IAESP did not mention the name of the Original Proponent nor the date that the JV Proposal was received by the ACWD.
Ms. Alejandro said that Balibago Waterworks is very interested in participating in this bidding because both Balibago Waterworks and ACWD are the biggest water service providers of Angeles City. Balibago Waterworks is serving four (4) of the barangays out of the total 33 barangays of Angeles City, while ACWD is serving the other 29 barangays. As a Kapampangan and Angeleño based company, Balibago Waterworks believes that out of all the private water utilities in the country, it is the most suited to be the Joint Venture partner of ACWD in satisfying the water supply needs of the citizens of Angeles City. Meanwhile, regarding septage management, Balibago Waterworks says that it has already been preparing to provide septage management services and will soon energize this aspect of their business.
Further, Ms. Alejandro opined that Balibago Waterworks is most definitely eligible to bid and win the challenge against the Original Proponent because it had, in fact, submitted an “Unsolicited Proposal for the Upgrading, Financing and Expansion of ACWD”. The proposal was officially received by the secretary of the ACWD General Manager on December 27, 2019.
Ms. Alejandro is not sure why ACWD did not grant Balibago Waterworks the Original Proponent status when it had been in negotiations with ACWD Chairman of the Board Bernie Cruz regarding a potential Joint Venture partnership for more than one year already.
However, since ACWD decided to choose another private sector participant’s Unsolicited Proposal as its Original Proponent, Ms. Alejandro said they will most likely revise their proposal depending on the terms and conditions of the Tender Documents.
