EPC Bidding Invitation- Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Proposed BRT running ways down middle of road with median stations

Bidding for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system for Cebu has moved forward with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) seeking proposals on Friday for project design and construction supervision.

The agency said in an invitation published in newspapers that the Cebu BRT, which is eyed to operate by 2015 with an estimated capacity of 330,000 passengers, "is a transport system with around 176 buses that will run through the dedicated and exclusive bus-ways from Bulacao to Talamban in Cebu, with a link to Cebu's South Road Property."

Business districts, residential areas, shopping centers and noted tourist locations will mark the bus routes, according to the invitation, with "33 stations along the corridor and a bus will be made available at each station every 2-5 minutes."

The DoTC said international and local consultancy firms may submit proposals for the project, which will have two phases.

The engineering, structural, civil and mechanical design will form the first phase, while the second phase 2 will comprise the "supervision of the transit way and the supporting infrastructure during the construction."

The DoTC media relations department, meanwhile, said the contract to build "will be [auctioned off through] another bidding," while the BRT system will be operated by the agency and the local government of Cebu.

Interested groups should have the following qualifications, according to the announcement:

"Should have been in the construction design and supervision business for a minimum of 10 years prior to the issuance of this request for expression on interest,"

"Have completed at least two similar contracts in combination of phase 1 and phase 2 within the last five years"; and

"Must also comply with the World Bank's policy on conflict of interest" as the agency intends to apply for financing from the Washington-based lender to finance, in part, the cost of the system and consulting services.

DISASTER RESPONSE EQUIPMENT

In a separate notice also published on Friday, the DoTC is soliciting bids for ₱152 million worth of disaster response equipment for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), in addition to the ₱521 million worth of equipment procurement for the same agency that it rolled out last month.

"This procurement will ensure that the national headquarters of PCG will have an additional 40 rubber boats and three M35 6x6 trucks while each of the 12 PGC district offices will also have one M35 6x6 truck," the bidding notice read, adding that the equipment "will be used to facilitate timely response to disaster situations."

The DoTC has pegged its budget for the 15 units M35 6x6 truck at ₱120 million. Pre-bid conference has been set for Sept. 6 while submission of bidding documents, which may be acquired at ₱20,000 apiece, will be on Sept. 18 at the PCG office in Port Area in Manila.

The agency, meanwhile, has allotted ₱32 million for the 40 units of rubber boats. Bidding has been set for Aug. 24 also in the port area, with bidding documents worth ₱30,000 apiece.

The DoTC last month invited bidders for the ₱521-million procurement of "300 units of aluminum, V-shaped hull boats, 81 units of rigid hull inflatable boats, 50 units of rubber boats, six units of jet skis, 2,586 units of common life vests, 1,724 units of flares, 862 units of VHF handheld marine radios, 862 units of life vests, and 431 units of megaphones."

Bidding was initially set for Aug. 8 but was cancelled due to the torrential rains that battered the capital early this month.

Business World Online

Continue reading

Thousands to take PMA exam Sunday Aug 26, 2012 Walk-in Accepted

Thousands of aspiring military cadets will flock testing centers on Sunday (August 26, 2012) for this year's Philippine Military Academy (PMA) entrance exam, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.

As of August 18, the PMA has already recorded 12,500 applicants who are expected to gather at the 37 testing centers nationwide, according to the AFP Public Affairs Office.

The PMA is also expecting 3,000 to 5,000 walk-in applicants during the examination day. Last year, a total of 15,873 aspiring soldiers took the test, wherein a total of 1,120 passed while a selected 123 rose as appointed cadets.

But the academy is also expecting the number of applicants to increase after the minimum height requirement for cadets was changed by the institution.

The minimum height requirement has been lowered to 5'0" both for male and female. Previously, aspiring male cadets should be at least 5'4" in height while female applicants should be at least 5'2."

"The widening of the pool of cadet candidates assures a deep-selection of those who possess the qualifications PMA is looking for in its cadets," PMA Superintendent Major General Nonato Peralta Jr. said.

He added that the academy's Non-Maltreatment Policy towards newly-accepted cadets would also motivate applicants to pursue their military aspirations.

"Also, with the staunch and resolute commitment of the Academy to eradicate hazing in the cadet corps, PMA is geared towards providing a more responsive and relevant training environment that is people-centered and observant of human rights," Peralta said.

Another factor that would encourage students to consider a career in the military is the AFP Modernization Program backed by the present administration, according to General Jessie Dellosa, AFP Chief of Staff.

"We hope that with the significant headways in our modernization and capability upgrade program, more youths who aspire to be in the military service particularly those who dream of becoming professional soldiers, pilots and sailors will be motivated to take the examination," Dellosa said.

In his latest State of the Nation Address, President Benigno Aquino III, who is also the AFP Commander-in-Chief, said that his two-year-old government has already poured a total of P28 billion into the AFP Modernization Program. The amount will soon match the P33 Billion set aside for the program in the past 15 years.

Aquino said that if the proposed AFP modernization bill is passed in Congress, the government will be able to allocate P75 billion for defense within the next five years.

The AFP said it is now acquiring equipment listed in its Medium Term Acquisition Plan covering the years from 2013 to 2017. The institution added that this year's successful applicants who will compose the PMA Class of 2017 would be the first beneficiaries of AFP's future defense acquisitions.

An aspiring PMA cadet must be a natural-born Filipino citizen, physically fit, single and has never been married.

The applicant should be at least a high school graduate and at least 17 years old but not a day older than 22 years on April 1, 2013. He or she should also have no administrative or criminal case.

Successful applicants will be received officially on August 1, 2013 at the PMA Campus in Fort Del Pilar, Baguio City. PMA graduates are guaranteed an officer in the Army, Air Force, or Navy.

"We hope that more Filipino youth will be motivated to face the greater responsibility of serving our country and better practice the principles of patriotism, nationalism and discipline that can be best learned from the military training," Dellosa said.

Sunstar 

Continue reading