New Basura tales from Phil Stars Jarius Bondoc

03 December 2000

HOW SERIOUS ARE THEY IN SOLVING THE GARBAGE CRISIS?

In an apparent attempt to solve the serious garbage crisis expected to happen upon the San Mateo closure in December 31st, 2000, the Greater Metro Manila Solid Waste Management Committee (under which chief Government offices involved are the MMDA and the Presidential Committee on Flagship Projects) solicited a bid for the 25-year Metro Manila Solid Waste Management Project. After going through the rigorous process of screening, evaluation, etc., that lasted more than three months due to delays upon delays, a proponent, the PRO ENVIRONMENT CONSORTIUM (PEC) finally won the bid in September. But the MMDA claimed it could not officially declare a winner because of a court injunction in favor of JANCOM, the company claiming to possess a valid waste management contract won in the Ramos Administration despite its use of incineration and its proposed astronomical tipping fee of $59.00 per ton (plus hidden costs that totaled $91.00). Pro-Environment Consortium proposed the most environmentally sound technology and submitted the lowest complying bid of $18.89 tipping fee per ton of municipal solid waste. The only other complying bidder, Dizon Silver-Copper Mines/CGEA, submitted a bid of $33.00 per ton of MSW. These two companies were the only ones who passed the rigorous international bidding originally participated in by nine other proponents. In the face of the claimed legal impediment, Pro-Environment Consortium, as de facto winning bidder of the said the 25-year Metro Manila Solid Waste Management Project, submitted an interim solution proposal as specified in terms of reference. Since the time was now closer to the Dec. 31 deadline than the one submitted on June 6th(the date of the bid submission), they were asked to revise their interim proposal to the MMDA, which they promptly did. The MMDA, instead of acting on the proposal, invited some of the disqualified bidders to submit their own proposals for the interim solid waste management contract. Pro-Environment Consortium instead of objecting to the intrusions, went along and again submitted the lowest bid. In yet another strange development, the MMDA early in November 2000 invited still more disqualified bidders and new proponents to join the bidding. It must be noted that there were no clear guidelines or terms of reference given by the MMDA. Only after opening and evaluating several proposals did the MMDA declare another bidding for the interim. Submit now, bid later. Moreover, against regular procedures in transparent bids, the proposals were opened BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, for the MMDA's eyes only. Still once more Pro-Environment Consortium submitted the lowest bid. Despite this, the interim waste management project was announced by the MMDA to be awarded to two companies who submitted suspiciously similar - but still higher - tipping fees: Waste Action Recyclers (WAR), who did not even join the previous bid, and R2 Builders (who was disqualified) in tandem with DMCI (who was also disqualified but who joined another foreign company, CELDEX). Note that Waste Action Recyclers' (WAR) site is in Bataan, which approximates that of Dizons' site (Zambales). Why the critical discrepancy of prices between the former ($19 per ton) and the latter ($33 per ton)? PEC contends that there is no fairness of evaluation when theirs is a technology, with very modern and environment-friendly systems, whereas the others will just dump (for how else can anyone start this huge volume by Jan. 1, 2001). If they were asked to submit a dumpsite proposal, they figure $7.00 per ton would be the highest. But, they stress, open dumping is against their principles and they would NEVER agree to that. Further, MMDA and Secretary Aventajado are telling the public that the PEC has no site, because Rizal is against landfills. Mariveles Mayor (site of WAR) came out in public denouncing landfills/dumpsites as well, and will fight against it. Although no formal statement has been issued by the Antique Governor (for the site of R2 Builders), an Antique official from the Provincial Planning and Development Office stated that the Governor has signed a letter or intent, but they have yet to get approval from the mayors, other LGU officials, and the public. In short, they seem to be all in the same boat; understandably so because elections are nearing. Still, PEC remains the lowest, apart from being the rightful legal claimants by winning the main contract bid. Besides, they are still in the process of acquiring approval from Rizal LGU officials, who have been justifiably traumatized by the San Mateo nightmare. It's not that Pro-Environment Consortium has NOT been questioning the legality of the solicitation of offers for the interim project because of lack of clear rules and criteria. In good faith, Pro-Environment Consortium declined to take the legal options that might have delayed a resolution of Metro Manila's exploding garbage problem. It appears that all its ideas and bids were used to provide undue advantage to competing (and favored?) bidders and that there is something clearly and deliberately irregular here. Moreover, till now, Secretary Aventajado has said that he does not know who are behind the W.A.R. Consortium. For a close to P2Billion project, it would seem highly suspicious that they don't even know who are these people they have awarded this contract to. Everywhere there are indications that this has not been done above-board. This matter has been elevated to the attention of President Joseph Ejercito Estrada who meant it when he earlier declared that the bidding for the contract to solve Metro Manila's garbage problem must be devoid of any hanky panky. Sadly, the government's sincerity and transparency once more are cast in a bad light. Will there never be an end to questionable actuations and motives by those involved in deciding awards for crucial government contracts? And are they more concerned about the gravity of the garbage crisis that faces Metro Manila or on the P1,200,000,000++ money involved in such a big project? What will prevent the ticking garbage bomb from exploding in the faces of the millions of people of Metro Manila come January 1, 2001?

(related topic : toxic waste in former US bases