Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia is expected to give his official stand today on whether to award the new government center project for Bacolod City to the winning bidder.

Leonardia met with the Bids and Awards Committee Friday, which adopted the recommendation of the technical working group to award the project to Hilmarc's Construction Corp.

He said if he finds everything in place, he will officially write the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod today to ask for an authority to sign the contract between the city and HCC.

Leonardia said he will also ask the SP to hold series of special sessions so the matter can be resolved or decided at the soonest possible time to avoid any delays.

He said he is also willing to sit down with them in a caucus if that is still possible to clarify questions before the SP deliberates on his request. The draft of the contract, which he will submit to the SP, will be prepared by the BAC headed by its chairman Goldwyn Nifras and City Legal Officer Allan Zamora, he added.

Leonardia said a notice of award will also be given directly to the winning bidder.

He said he expects the cooperation of the SP since they have already agreed that the city needs a new government center. The SP even passed a resolution declaring the present City Hall inadequate, he said.

Leonardia said he believes many people in Bacolod want the project pursued. He said he wants to hasten the process on the premise that everything is done legally.

He said since this is a new project, almost everyone is not so familiar with the procedures that if there are things that need to be clarified, they should find a solution, not problems.

In the worst scenario, if there are no solutions then they can stop pursuing the project, Leonardia said.

"But on matters where we could be flexible and where we could (exercise) our discretion, then I expect that we are supposed to do this in favor of pursuing the project," he said.

Leonardia clarified that he is not trying to impose anything but only suggesting that the SP hold sessions or caucuses continuously until they can come up with a decision, at the most within one week.

"If we allow it to go beyond Dec. 22 we will all have a problem because we are on the last two minutes of the game," he said.*CGS

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