Capitol asserts fairness in fertilizer contract

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Iloilo Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Dennis Ventilacion confirmed that the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Iloilo provincial government followed a proper procurement process in awarding a contract worth P9,098,600 to Agricom Visayas, Inc.

The contract is for the supply of agricultural products, specifically fertilizers, to rice-producing cluster municipalities in Iloilo.

The clarification came after JMC Trading, one of the bidders, sent a complaint letter to Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., requesting a review and investigation of the bidding process.

Despite offering a lower bid of P5,534,200, JMC Trading failed the post-qualification stage due to technical deficiencies.

“JMC’s fertilizer is inorganic and they did not meet the 25 percent single lowest completed contract (SLCC) requirement,” said Ventilacion, who also chairs the BAC.

The required SLCC is P2.2 million, whereas JMC’s SLCC stood at only P1.6 million, rendering them ineligible.

Initially, Agricom was also disqualified for offering inorganic fertilizer. However, Agricom filed a motion for reconsideration, prompting the BAC to review the process and seek input from the Provincial Agriculture Office.

Unlike JMC, Agricom provided a justification from the Provincial Agriculture Office, stating that their Nutriboost Nano Plus Fertilizer is registered with the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FDA) and meets the necessary specifications.

The product also holds a certification as a bio-fertilizer from a recognized second-party organization.

“Definitely, at our level, we have completed our work. We have recommended the award, and it is now up to the governor. But I don’t see any reason for him to cancel the award. We have followed the process, and we did not violate any procedures,” Ventilacion stated during a press conference on Thursday, July 18.

Ventilacion assured that the BAC remains committed to fairness in dealing with suppliers participating in government contracts.

“We assure everyone that we will be fair in dealing with all suppliers. We do not favor any party. If we were arbitrary, who would not prefer the cheaper option?” he added.