The Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) Bicol Procurement Unit, together with the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) of Camarines Sur Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), conducted the bid opening for the Repackaging of the 13.77-kilometer Upgrading of Manangle-Caima Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) in Sipocot, Camarines Sur on January 18, 2022. 

To adapt to the new normal, the bid opening was done through a blended meeting, which is a combination of face-to-face and online meeting. The said strategy was adopted to ensure timely delivery of goods, works, and services for the implementation of the PhP80.04 million-worth I-BUILD subproject, amid the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. The said FMR subproject is funded under the original loan, which will close on June 30, 2022. 

PLGU Camarines Sur BAC Vice Chairperson Lea Yamzon virtually presided over the bid opening, joined by BAC Member Jaime Litada. Meanwhile, DA-PRDP Project Support Office (PSO) South Luzon Associate Procurement Officer Gerson Paghid Jr. and DA-PRDP RPCO Bicol Associate Procurement Engineer Jamal Cadiz physically attended the meeting, together with BAC Technical Working Group Head Maria Teresa Obciana, BAC Members Adrian Ongog and Marjorie Tayo, the BAC Secretariat, and representatives of the project bidders, Bella Imperial of GCI Construction and Development Corp. and Sizalyn Bañas of RKX Odiamar Construction.  

Aside from conducting pre-bid conferences and bid openings through blended meetings, Obciana expressed appreciation of other flexible measures adopted by the DA-PRDP RPCO Bicol Procurement Unit to facilitate the procurement process despite the restrictions brought about by the pandemic. 

“‘Yung online verification of equipment, personnel, track record ng contractor sa similar project, ‘yung contracts. Maganda na po ‘yung ganun na hindi na personal katulad nung una na nag-gegeotag pa kami. Maganda din ‘yung experience, pero sa ngayon kasi, hindi siya feasible,” Obciana said.

Construction for the Upgrading of Manangle-Caima FMR will start upon the release of the Notice to Proceed, once the Bid Evaluation Report was submitted within 30 days, and the No Objection Letter 2 was issued by the DA-PRDP PSO South Luzon Cluster. (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA RAFIS V/PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)