..MANILA, Philippines - The government is inviting consultancy firms interested to conduct a feasibility study on building a new airport in Camarines Sur, the fastest growing tourist destination in the country.
The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) is also seeking potential consultants to submit eligibility documents for a master plan study of Calbayog airport. The approved budget for the contract of each study is about P7 million.
The move to develop an airport in San Jose, Camarines Sur came in light of the provinces' sustained growth in tourism.
In 2010, Camarines Sur overtook perennial favorites like Metro Manila, Cebu and Boracay as the top tourism destination in the country, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).
Last year, 2.33 million visitors came to the province, up by 223 percent from 2008, visiting mostly the Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC) and the Caramoan Island.
Apart from CWC and Caramoan, other popular tourist destinations in the province are the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Church in Naga, the 19th-century churches in Goa, San Jose and Sagñay. It is also famous for the beaches of Sagñay, Sabang and Pasacao.
Calbayog, meanwhile, is the biggest city in Samar Island in terms of population. As such, it is one of the commercial trade centers in Eastern Visayas.
Apart from its growing economy, Calbayog is also home to a host of natural tourist attractions such as the Bangon-Bugtong, Tabokno, and Pan-as Falls; the Danao and Guinogo-an Caves; Mapaso Hot Spring; Mawacat Slide; Binaliw Isle; and the beaches of Malajog, Naga, and Bagacay Beach.
Consultants who wish to bid for the two projects may submit their eligibility documents to the DOTC headquarters in Mandaluyong City. Deadline for submission of eligibility is on September 14, 2012.
DOTC will short list five prospective bidders per project. Only those in the short list can submit formal bids.
The criteria for short listing of both biddings are applicable experience of the firm (50 percent), qualification of personnel who may be assigned to the job vis-à-vis extent and complexity of the undertaking (30 percent), and current workload relative to capacity (20 percent).
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