An ordinance was proposed by the City Council on Monday seeking to ensure the timely compliance of contractors who have been awarded government projects.
The proposal was raised after the Toyota-Puerto Princesa Branch failed to deliver all the vehicles it was supposed to provide after winning bids held in August and December 2020 and May 2021. The company has so far delivered only 10 out of the 21 contracted units, as stated by the company’s representatives, Christina Labenia and Eli Elauria.
Company officials who appeared at the City Council’s inquiry on November 15 apologized for the delay, saying it took them a longer period to secure the needed vehicle units after they were awarded the contract. They added that the car manufacturers also faced delays in their production.
“Hindi pa available ang ibang units during the bidding, kasi hindi namin alam kung ma-a-award ba sa amin (ang bid). Nagpe-prepare lang kasi kami ng unit [ka]pag nasa amin na ang authority to proceed,” Elauria said.
“We expected na yong mga planta ang magpo-provide ng unit. Hindi namin na-anticipate na magkakaroon ng problema sa production that’s why nagkaroon ng problema sa delivery,” he added.
According to Awat, who called for a question hour, the contracted delivery time was 90 days after winning the bidding. While some units were delivered immediately after securing the bid, other units were delivered much later.
“Hindi agad binabayaran. ang pagkakaalam ko the payment will be made upon delivery,” Awat clarified later in a phone interview.
Labenia added that they tried to secure units from the company’s other branches, but because some cars did not match the specifications in the contract, they were unable to do so.
She added that they also had trouble securing the Hilux model because the units were being shipped from Thailand. She added that the delay was also caused by COVID-19 restrictions.
“Usually, ang nagiging problema dyan, mismatch sa color,” Labenia said.
The officials promised to deliver the remaining units by December 31, 2021.
Since no one from the City Legal Office was present during the question hour, the proposed ordinance was referred to the Committee on Legal Matters.
“I think that it is the best we can do now, as far as your company is concerned,” said Awat.