Posted on 09:39 PM, December 14, 2009 [ BusinessWorld Online ]
BY JESSICA ANNE D. HERMOSA, Reporter
Twelve firms have officially expressed interest in bidding for the development of a 34.5-hectare military-owned property south of Fort Bonifacio in Taguig, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) yesterday said.
The state agency declined to name these firms for the meantime although two developers -- Ayala Land, Inc. and Robinsons Land, Inc.
-- said they were among those that bought bid documents from the state agency ahead of the Dec. 14 deadline.
“We are very optimistic we will get a good price for the property considering the number of bidders,” BCDA Vice-President Aileen R. Zosa said in a telephone interview yesterday.
The BCDA pegged the floor price of the lot at P19,000 per square meter or a total of P6.555 billion.
The property whose development is up for bidding is a portion of the 93-hectare so-called JUSMAG (Joint United States Military Advisory Group) property on Lawton Avenue that is bounded by the Philippine Army headquarters, the American Battle Monument cemetery, the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, and Forbes Park.
The rest of the JUSMAG land cannot be auctioned off yet as ownership of a segment is still being contested by the Navy Officers Village Association, Inc. at the Supreme Court.
The 12 firms will have to submit eligibility requirements by Jan. 14 before the BCDA declares which ones can participate in the bidding, Ms. Zosa said. Proposals from those eligible will be due on March 3, she said. Awarding of the contract will likely be in April.
Ayala Land, who had earlier submitted an unsolicited proposal, reiterated yesterday through spokesman Alfonso D. Reyes the firm was interested in the property.
Mybelle V. Aragon-Gobio, Robinsons Land vice-president for business development, likewise said the firm was looking forward to bid for the JUSMAG lot.
Rockwell Land Corp. said it had purchased bid documents. Megaworld Corp. declined to comment.
These developers already have projects in the area and had said that more properties there would complement their portfolios.
In a bidding for another Fort Bonifacio property this year, Ayala Land and Robinsons Land were among those declared eligible to challenge Megaworld Corp.’s offer for the 8.38-hectare North Bonifacio lots.
Megaworld emerged as the winning bidder.
Ayala Land share prices fell by 2.13% to P11.50 apiece, while Robinsons Land dropped by 1.85% to P13.25. Megaworld went down by 2.74% to P1.42.
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