MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has allotted more than PHP116 million for the purchase of some 2,200 Consolidation and Canvassing System (CCS) laptops to be used in the May 2022 national and local polls.
Based on its Invitation to Bid, the poll body has set PHP116,160,000 as Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the purchase of laptops, each priced at PHP52,800, for consolidating and canvassing of votes.
“The Comelec now invites bids for this Procurement Project. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at Bid Opening,” it said.
Under the contract, the CCS laptops must be delivered to its Laguna warehouse in five tranches over five months from May to September 2021.
The first tranche, composed of 220 units, must be delivered by May 30 next year; 440 units by June 30; and 440 by July 30.
Another 440 units should also be delivered by August 30 and the final 660 units by September 30.
The CCS conducts the automated tallying and monitoring of data received from polling precincts and lower levels of the Board of Canvassers.
The Comelec reminded that only Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least 60-percent interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, are allowed to participate in the bidding.
It added that the bidding would be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.
At the same time, the poll body said a complete set of bidding documents may already be acquired by interested bidders at the Special Bids and Awards Committee Secretariat Office for PHP50,000; or downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the Comelec website with the applicable fee to be paid later on.
The Pre-Bid Conference will be held online via Microsoft Teams at 10 a.m. on January 4.
The deadline for the submission of bids is at 9 a.m. on January 18 at the Bureau of the Treasury (BTR) Convention Hall of the Palacio del Gobernador Building in Intramuros, Manila, while the opening of bids is set on the same day at 10 a.m. with the venue yet to be announced.