The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved the extension until Sept. 13, 2024 of the submission of comparative proposals for the upgrade, expansion, operations and maintenance of Laguindingan International Airport in Misamis Oriental province.
“Upon the end of the challenge period for the Laguindingan airport, if there is no challenger, the project is expected to be awarded by the end of September,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio Baliscan said.
“Meanwhile if there is a challenge placed, the award of the project is expected to be made by mid of December this year,” he said.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista said the submission of comparative proposals for Laguindingan Airport was originally set for Aug. 13, 2024.
The DOTr earlier said at least two challengers paid a non-refundable participation fee of P250,000 or $4,500 for the project’s Swiss Challenge.
Swiss Challenge is a form of procurement, usually required in an unsolicited project, to provide other parties an opportunity to challenge the bid of the proponent.
The airport project is an unsolicited proposal from Aboitiz InfraCapital, accepted by the DOTr and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines following the provisions of Republic Act No. 11966 or the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code of the Philippines.
The challenge process involves the submission of comparative proposals to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the Laguindingan International Airport under a 30-year concession period.
The NEDA said it also approved the Philippine Civil Service Modernization (PCSM) Project which aims to support the government as it leverages technology toward further modernizing public sector processes. The initiative focuses on streamlining and simplifying the human resource (HR) information systems across various government agencies.
The project will initially be implemented in 39 pilot government agencies in 2025 and will expand to 1,187 government agencies within the next decade.
The NEDA Board also approved an increase in the budget and an extension of the loan validity and implementation period for the Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic Improvement Project (MMPBSIP).
The project aims to mitigate the effects of large-scale earthquakes in Metro Manila through the replacement, retrofitting and strengthening of the Guadalupe Bridge and the Lambingan Bridge.
This will enhance the earthquake resilience of the National Capital Region to minimize possible disruptions to economic activity in the event of major natural disasters.
The approved increase in the project cost of the MMPBSIP amounts to P2.406 billion, bringing the total cost to P10.339 billion.
The additional funding will be allocated to account for the increase in civil works, the procurement of additional materials and modifications in the installation method.
The NEDA Board also approved the extension of the project’s implementation period to Dec. 30, 2028, along with the extensions of the validity of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loans for the MMPBSIP.
“These major projects approved by the NEDA Board are expected to further enhance our country’s economic productivity as we invest in initiatives that promote a more robust and sustainable development trajectory in the long term,” said Balisacan.
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