By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
The provincial government of Negros Occidental is mulling to rebid the already awarded construction of the New Provincial Administration Building in Talisay City.
Provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, said they have already made queries to the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) about the requirements to conduct another bidding and that it would depend also on the contractor if they are willing to the idea of rebidding.
The construction of the new capitol building, including its transfer to Talisay City, was stalled, and negotiations between the capitol and the contractor are underway.
The nearly P1-billion new building will be built on a 25-hectare property owned by the provincial government along the Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road in Talisay City.
The project was already awarded to the winning contractor, the Dynamic Builders and Construction Corp., that has already been paid of the usual 15 percent advance payment for its mobilization fund.
Diaz said the area is very ideal for the establishment of a new growth center because of its proximity to the Bacolod-Silay Airport.
The area also has wide roads and vast lands that could be developed to relocate some offices of the national government agencies asking for space from the province.
“It could become a one-stop area for business if the plan materializes,” Diaz added.
He said the capitol transfer is still one of the priorities of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson as one of his flagship projects.
However, Diaz clarified that if the contractor agrees on the rebidding of the project and pays back the advance payment, the transfer to Talisay City would be materialized.
But if the contractor refuses, the capitol has no choice but to stick to its contract to construct the new PAC Building in front of the NBI-Bacolod Field Office.
Diaz said Dynamic Builders may still participate in the rebidding with a new structural design but the budget would still be the same based on the loan agreement of the province with the Landbank for the said project.
To recall, the mayors of Negros Occidental have unanimously agreed to the transfer of the provincial capitol offices from Bacolod City to Talisay City.
The Association of Chief Executives of Negros Occidental had also passed a resolution supporting the transfer of the provincial capitol offices to Talisay.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan also posed no objection to the plan./DGB, WDJ