CLARK FREEPORT – Unexploded World War II vintage bombs and “unknown underground utilities” installed by the US Air Force have been blamed by the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) for the still dormant P308.8 million passenger terminal expansion at the Diosdado Macapagal Inter-national Airport (DMIA) here.
The construction firm A.J. Araja started the expansion project on Dec. 5, 2009 and was supposed to finish it within “90 calendar days.”
The project consisted of a new two-story building with appropriate airport terminal facilities, including two aero-bridges.
Pampanga 1st district Rep. Carmelo Lazatin said that despite the delays, the CIAC has failed to forfeit the A.J. Araya’s “performance bond” of over P92 million.
In an interview with Punto, Lazatin said the House Committee on Transportation, headed by Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, will hold this week a probe he initiated on alleged “rigged bidding” that awarded the expansion project to A.J. Araja.
“The period for the bidding is questionable since it takes no less than six months for a bidder to arrange for the supplies needed, such as the two passenger boarding bridges and luggage carousels which have to be retrofitted according to peculiar needs of airports,” Lazatin said.
He said there are indications that Araja had been informed of such requirement even before the conduct of the bidding.
In a statement, however, CIAC insisted it would not forfeit A.J. Araja’s P92-million bond since the firm “has already incurred liquidated damages amounting only to P1,964,438 for the delays in the construction of the expansion project.”
Forfeiture of the performance bond could be justified only if the liquidated damages comprise 10 percent or about P30.8 million of the project cost, the CIAC stressed.
The CIAC quoted Asuncion as justifying the delays in the project by saying that “as mutually agreed by all parties and with the full knowledge of the CIAC Board, the project’s completion schedule was extended up to July 15 last year because of unforeseen delays…”
The delays, Asunsion said, were “caused by various factors such as the discovery of unexploded vintage bombs within the construction site, unknown underground utilities installed way back during the time of the U.S. air force at Clark, and design enhancements deemed necessary for the efficient operations of a passenger terminal.”
On June 26, a few days before she stepped down from Malacanang last year, former Pres. Arroyo inaugurated the Terminal 1 expansion project which, in 2007, had a price tag of only P130 million pesos.
By 2009, the project cost ballooned over 100 percent more, or P300 million. At the supposed time of completion last year, another P8 million was added to the cost for a total of P308.8 million.
After the inauguration by Mrs. Arroyo, however, the terminal expansion remained idle arising from some unfinished work. An invitation to the inauguration indicated the terminal extension was “a priority project” of the Arroyo administration and that it was started on Dec. 5, 2009 with a “project duration” of 90 days. The invitation was marked by logos of the DMIA and Araja firm.
During the supposed inauguration, Luciano was quoted in media to have said that the terminal expansion would remedy “concerns of airlines” such as the two passenger boarding bridges, wider lounges, a flight information display system, a closed circuit television, public television sets, background music public address system, x-ray machines, elevators and escalators.
CIAC’s statement further quoted Asunsion as saying that, “We understand and appreciate Rep. Lazatin’s concerns given the importance of the DMIA terminal expansion project. Like Rep. Lazatin, CIAC is similarly doing everything possible, and with a sense of urgency, to put this project into immediate use and operation for the benefit of our people.”
Asuncion said, however, that while the extension building itself has remained unused, “all equipment installed as prescribed in the contract have been fully functional and operational since July of last year”, but that “training of CIAC personnel for maintenance and operation of all the commissioned equipment are currently ongoing.”
“To pave the way for the start of commercial operations of the expanded terminal, CIAC has already invited prospective bidders or investors for the lease of commercial spaces including the VIP lounges and coffee shop, “ CIAC announced.
“CIAC is also currently in talks with various international airlines particularly legacy carriers who will make extensive use of the newly-installed passenger boarding bridges. As practiced in other airports around the world, budget carriers operating at Clark also avoid using the passenger boarding bridges to cut costs on ground-handling services and be able to offer cheaper air fares to passengers,” CIAC said.
The construction firm A.J. Araja started the expansion project on Dec. 5, 2009 and was supposed to finish it within “90 calendar days.”
The project consisted of a new two-story building with appropriate airport terminal facilities, including two aero-bridges.
Pampanga 1st district Rep. Carmelo Lazatin said that despite the delays, the CIAC has failed to forfeit the A.J. Araya’s “performance bond” of over P92 million.
In an interview with Punto, Lazatin said the House Committee on Transportation, headed by Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, will hold this week a probe he initiated on alleged “rigged bidding” that awarded the expansion project to A.J. Araja.
“The period for the bidding is questionable since it takes no less than six months for a bidder to arrange for the supplies needed, such as the two passenger boarding bridges and luggage carousels which have to be retrofitted according to peculiar needs of airports,” Lazatin said.
He said there are indications that Araja had been informed of such requirement even before the conduct of the bidding.
In a statement, however, CIAC insisted it would not forfeit A.J. Araja’s P92-million bond since the firm “has already incurred liquidated damages amounting only to P1,964,438 for the delays in the construction of the expansion project.”
Forfeiture of the performance bond could be justified only if the liquidated damages comprise 10 percent or about P30.8 million of the project cost, the CIAC stressed.
The CIAC quoted Asuncion as justifying the delays in the project by saying that “as mutually agreed by all parties and with the full knowledge of the CIAC Board, the project’s completion schedule was extended up to July 15 last year because of unforeseen delays…”
The delays, Asunsion said, were “caused by various factors such as the discovery of unexploded vintage bombs within the construction site, unknown underground utilities installed way back during the time of the U.S. air force at Clark, and design enhancements deemed necessary for the efficient operations of a passenger terminal.”
On June 26, a few days before she stepped down from Malacanang last year, former Pres. Arroyo inaugurated the Terminal 1 expansion project which, in 2007, had a price tag of only P130 million pesos.
By 2009, the project cost ballooned over 100 percent more, or P300 million. At the supposed time of completion last year, another P8 million was added to the cost for a total of P308.8 million.
After the inauguration by Mrs. Arroyo, however, the terminal expansion remained idle arising from some unfinished work. An invitation to the inauguration indicated the terminal extension was “a priority project” of the Arroyo administration and that it was started on Dec. 5, 2009 with a “project duration” of 90 days. The invitation was marked by logos of the DMIA and Araja firm.
During the supposed inauguration, Luciano was quoted in media to have said that the terminal expansion would remedy “concerns of airlines” such as the two passenger boarding bridges, wider lounges, a flight information display system, a closed circuit television, public television sets, background music public address system, x-ray machines, elevators and escalators.
CIAC’s statement further quoted Asunsion as saying that, “We understand and appreciate Rep. Lazatin’s concerns given the importance of the DMIA terminal expansion project. Like Rep. Lazatin, CIAC is similarly doing everything possible, and with a sense of urgency, to put this project into immediate use and operation for the benefit of our people.”
Asuncion said, however, that while the extension building itself has remained unused, “all equipment installed as prescribed in the contract have been fully functional and operational since July of last year”, but that “training of CIAC personnel for maintenance and operation of all the commissioned equipment are currently ongoing.”
“To pave the way for the start of commercial operations of the expanded terminal, CIAC has already invited prospective bidders or investors for the lease of commercial spaces including the VIP lounges and coffee shop, “ CIAC announced.
“CIAC is also currently in talks with various international airlines particularly legacy carriers who will make extensive use of the newly-installed passenger boarding bridges. As practiced in other airports around the world, budget carriers operating at Clark also avoid using the passenger boarding bridges to cut costs on ground-handling services and be able to offer cheaper air fares to passengers,” CIAC said.
