Four more companies have bought bid documents to take a shot at nailing the contract for the P17-billion Davao Sasa modernization project, which brings to five the number of prospective bidders to the government’s first public-private partnership (PPP) project.
These companies are Portek Systems and Equipment Pte Ltd, OHL Group through Obrascon Huarte Lain (OHL) SA, Bollore SA, and Anflocor Group of the Florendo family, according to Michael Arthur Sagcal, Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) spokesperson. They join conglomerate San Miguel Corp., which bought bid documents earlier.
Singapore-based Portek, a subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsui & Co., Ltd., offers equipment leasing and sale, terminal operations, cargo handling services, and port engineering, among others. Portek handles ports in Algeria, Gabon, Indonesia, Latvia, Malta, and Rwanda, and has offices in over nine countries throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia. It is a subsidiary of Portek Engineering Holdings Pte Ltd.
Madrid-based OHL is engaged in the concession and construction businesses, taking on projects such as toll roads, ports, railways, and airports. It is present in 30 countries across five continents and has port concessions including two terminals in Spain and one in Chile.
Bollore is a French investment and industrial holding group engaged in the fields of transportation and logistics, communication and media, and electricity storage and solutions. One of the 500 largest companies in the world, the group is the leader in integrated logistics in Africa, and is France’s leading independent distributor of domestic fuel.
Davao Del Norte’s Anflocor Group oversees various businesses, joint ventures, and allied services and expansions. The group, through San Vicente Terminal and Brokerage Services, Inc. and in partnership with two of the country’s top Cavendish banana exporters—Tagum Agricultural Development Co., Inc. and Dole-Stanfilco.—already operates the Davao International Container Terminal.
The Davao Sasa project involves modernizing the existing port and establishing dedicated container handling facilities with an initial design capacity of 1,900 container ground slots and an eventual minimum number of 2,700 ground slots. It also includes constructing a new apron, developing a linear quay, expanding the back-up area, providing container yards and warehouses, and installing container handling equipment through a 30-year concession period.
DOTC has appointed the Development Bank of the Philippines and the International Finance Corp. of World Bank to act as transaction advisors.
The deadline for submitting qualification documents is June 30 and the qualified bidders will be announced on July 15. Submission of bids is on December 7 and the issuance of Notice of Award is on December 21. – Roumina Pablo
