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CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga: Waterfront Philippines, Inc., a Filipino
corporation owned by the Gatchalian group of companies, appeared to
have won the bidding for the management and operation of the
215-hectare Mimosa Leisure Estate within the 4,400-hectare former US
military facility.
The winning corporation owned by William
Gatchalian group qualified as the lone participant in the bidding
conducted on Friday.
A total of 10 estate developers from China,
Japan, Korea and the United States and top local firms expressed
interest to join the bidding. Although all of them qualified to
participate in the bidding, many of them did not arrive on or before
the deadline of the bidding until only two of them participated.
The two bidders were Waterfront and Hanwool I
and D Corp. of South Korea.
The three-envelope system was applied during the
bidding in which only Waterfront qualified. It was explained that
during the opening of the first envelopes, both passed the
qualifications.
Levy P. Laus, president and CEO of Clark
Development Corp.(CDC), said that the awarding of the contract to
any winner will be announced by the Board of Directors later after
the winner shall have passed the post qualification and evaluation
of its financial capability to operate and manage the estate.
During the opening of the second envelopes,
Hanwool was disqualified due to the lack of the required bidding
documents, resulting to Waterfront winning the bid.
The Korean bidder was givean three days within
which to file a motion for reconsideration, resulting in the
suspension in announcing the bid winner.
Officials of the Bids and Awards Committee of
the CDC, which conducted the bidding, said the awarding of the bid
to the winner will still be suspended pending determination of its
financial capability to manage and operate Mimosa.
The latest bidding was the third attempt since
2003 when no bidders showed up to privatize the operation and
management of Mimosa 10 years after CDC seized the estate from MLRC
when it failed to pay lease rentals of some P46 million.
CDC authorities revoked the award of contract to
NTM Jin Hung Joint Venture Corp., a South Korean firm in the second
bidding conducted in May 2006.
Mimosa Estate is composed of the 38-hole
world-class golf course, clubhouse, more than 200 Montevista villas
Holiday Inn, Pagcor-operated casino and industrial laundry, and
Veranda Restaurant.
-- Mark Louie P. Roxas
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