Bidding is a method of procurement that allows any participants that are interested in the project.
It is an
activity or event that was conducted to choose the best company for a particular project; the various
companies will show their computation in the project's prices. The company should also write all the
resources that are needed as well as the equipment that they have. Based on the general provision of RA
9184, the following are the nine bidding process of an infrastructure project: pre-procurement conference
advertisement/ posting of invitation to bid, pre-bid conference, bid submission, the opening of technical
proposal, opening of the financial proposal, bid evaluation, post-qualification, and contract award. Bidding
is a step by step process for the company who wants to be the one who will get the project.
Pre-procurement conference is the phase where procurement readiness will be determined; it is
conducted before advertising or posting of the invitation to bid. Advertising/ Posting is the phase that
signals the starting point of the bidding process; it is commonly posted in newspapers, PhilGEPS website,
PE's website, Conspicuous place, and another website that serves as a platform for bidding purposes. The
procurement process should be finished within 3 months from the posting until the awarding of the
contract. A pre-bid conference is where all the bidders that purchased bid documents are allowed to
discuss the different aspects of the project and verify the requirements, terms, conditions, and
specifications in the bidding documents for the contract to bid. Submission and receipt of bids are the
phases wherein the bidders should already submit the requirements and components needed in the bid
evaluation. There should be a specific date for the company to submit their document, and failure to meet
this deadline will result in disqualification. This phase is commonly done with the two-envelope system,
which means that the 1st envelope contains the eligibility requirements and technical components. In
contrast, the 2nd envelope contains the financial components of the project. The fifth process is the
opening and evaluation of the first envelope that contains the following details: eligibility requirements,
bid security, technical specifications, and omnibus sworn statement. It is the preliminary examination of
bids by simply checking the required documents using a non-discretionary pass or fail criterion. The
submitted requirements will be evaluated based on the law's criteria and standard; BAC will be strict in
every submitted requirement to ensure every company's transparency that is willing to participate in the
bidding. Through this phase, they can already evaluate the requirements submitted by the participants and
rate every detail of it. After the 1st envelope was examined, the opening and evaluation of the 2nd
envelope will proceed. This phase will examine each company's financial bid based on their computation;
the financial bid form includes bid prices and bill quantities. This phase's primary purpose is to determine
the company that gives the lowest calculated bid considering the right computation and prices for each
material. BAC will rank the companies financial bid from lowest to highest. According to the law, no
contact rule should be followed by the bidders and the evaluating team members; through this, they can
prevent any transaction that may affect the bidding's fairness; the bidding evaluation shall not exceed 7
working days. The 8th process is the post-qualification, wherein the authenticity of all the company's
requirements that offers the lowest calculated and responsive bid will be checked and evaluated. All the
licenses, documents, and certificates of the bidder will be examined and evaluate using the pass or fail
criterion. PE can also request additional documents to the bidders to add supporting information based on
the submitted bidding requirements. And lastly, when the bidder already submitted the required
documents, the award of contract will follow. This award was given to the bidder, who has the Lowest
Calculated and Responsive Bid (LCRB). The winning bidder should sign the contract to guarantee the
performance of an obligation.
Every company that is bidding should follow these processes to get the project. For example, Abra de Ilog
Gymnasium was a proposed project to the local government unit of Abra de Ilog. The municipal
government is looking for a firm that will give them the lowest calculated price for the gymnasium
construction, considering the materials and structural stability. So the first thing that the municipal
planning and development office will do is conduct a pre-procurement conference to verify and determine
if the project is ready for the bidders. After establishing the rules and regulations for the bidding process,
the municipal will post the invitation for all the firms willing to participate in the bidding process. A pre-bid
conference will follow to clarify the requirements and specifications to the participant in the bidding
process. Various construction firms in the province participate in the pre-bid conference to know the
requirements they needed to submit and know the project's specifications and details. After this, the Bid
submission will follow to submit all the needed requirements, then the opening of the technical proposal
will proceed after all the participants already submitted the documents. The 1st envelope where evaluate
to determine the legitimacy of the written details, followed by the 2nd envelope containing the financial
proposal. After all the documents examine, the municipal evaluating committee will evaluate and find the
lowest calculated and responsive bidder to be awarded. The gymnasium project of Abra de Ilog was
awarded to Engr. Gutierrez, through the screening of the documents that he submitted to the municipality,
found out that he is the one who can construct the gymnasium at the lowest price considering the right
materials to be used. Therefore, I conclude that bidding is a step by step process; it involves evaluating
different factors to be considered in choosing the best firm for the construction. Through this evaluation,
the government can ensure that the winning bidder or company will guarantee and finish its construction
based on the signed contract.
