Wednesday, June 11, 2008 [ manilatimes.net ]
CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga: Waterfront Philippines, Inc., a Filipino corporation owned by the Gatchalian group of companies, appeared to have won the bidding for the management and operation of the 215-hectare Mimosa Leisure Estate within the 4,400-hectare former US military facility.
The winning corporation owned by William Gatchalian group qualified as the lone participant in the bidding conducted on Friday.
A total of 10 estate developers from China, Japan, Korea and the United States and top local firms expressed interest to join the bidding. Although all of them qualified to participate in the bidding, many of them did not arrive on or before the deadline of the bidding until only two of them participated.
The two bidders were Waterfront and Hanwool I and D Corp. of South Korea.
The three-envelope system was applied during the bidding in which only Waterfront qualified. It was explained that during the opening of the first envelopes, both passed the qualifications.
Levy P. Laus, president and CEO of Clark Development Corp.(CDC), said that the awarding of the contract to any winner will be announced by the Board of Directors later after the winner shall have passed the post qualification and evaluation of its financial capability to operate and manage the estate.
During the opening of the second envelopes, Hanwool was disqualified due to the lack of the required bidding documents, resulting to Waterfront winning the bid.
The Korean bidder was givean three days within which to file a motion for reconsideration, resulting in the suspension in announcing the bid winner.
Officials of the Bids and Awards Committee of the CDC, which conducted the bidding, said the awarding of the bid to the winner will still be suspended pending determination of its financial capability to manage and operate Mimosa.
The latest bidding was the third attempt since 2003 when no bidders showed up to privatize the operation and management of Mimosa 10 years after CDC seized the estate from MLRC when it failed to pay lease rentals of some P46 million.
CDC authorities revoked the award of contract to NTM Jin Hung Joint Venture Corp., a South Korean firm in the second bidding conducted in May 2006.
Mimosa Estate is composed of the 38-hole world-class golf course, clubhouse, more than 200 Montevista villas Holiday Inn, Pagcor-operated casino and industrial laundry, and Veranda Restaurant. -- Mark Louie P. Roxas
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