DPWH extends deadline for Calax bid submission

The government is giving four bidders more time to prepare their offers for the 47-kilometer Cavite Laguna Expressway (Calax) as the Department of Public Works and Highways extended next year’s  Jan. 20 bid submission deadline to April 21.

The decision was confirmed by Public Works Undersecretary Rafael Yabut over the weekend.

DPWH is implementing the P35.4-billion toll road, one of the biggest public private partnership deals under the Aquino administration, which is seeking private sector support in getting big-ticket infrastructure projects off the ground to sustain economic growth.

Two prequalified bidders, Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and Malaysia’s Alloy MTD, welcomed the extension relayed to them late Friday, their officials said.

The extension was reportedly sought by all bidders, which also include San Miguel Corp. and the tandem of Ayala and Aboitz Groups.

“This is to give all four bidders of Cavite Laguna Expressway ample time to prepare competitive and accurate bids,” Yabut said in a text message.

He noted that most of the participating groups had been preoccupied with the P17.5-billion Mactan Cebu International Airport, for which financial offers were opened last Dec. 12.

The extension comes as several issues have yet to be finalized, such as the bid parameters. Options being discussed include a toll fee-based bid or through a so-called viability gap, a type of cash support from the government.

MTD Philippines president Isaac David also noted that government should decide on other key items, such as whether  the toll collection system at Cavite Laguna Expressway should be “interoperable” with those of South Luzon Expressway and Manila-Cavite Expressway.

SLEx is operated by San Miguel while Manila-Cavite is run by Metro Pacific Tollways.

“It would be better if they soon make a decision so we can design a toll collection system that is synchronized with the two,” David said.

The Cavite Laguna Expressway, which aims to decongest traffic along the Cavite-Laguna road network and reduce travel time to and from Metro Manila, will start from the Manila-Cavite Expressway in Kawit, Cavite, and end at the SLEx-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

The toll road is set to be the third PPP project auctioned off by DPWH. It previously launched and awarded two deals, the 4-km Daang-Hari SLEx project, which went to Ayala Corp. and the 7.75-km Naia Expressway Project Phase II, which went to San Miguel.