MANILA, Philippines – Goldilocks Bakeshop Incorporated was the sole bidder to supply Makati City’s free birthday cakes for senior citizens, offering a contract price that is lower than what the city government approved.

During the bidding conference held at Makati city hall on Monday, August 10, Goldilocks proposed a total budget of P8,666,080.50. It is lower than the approved budget for the contract, which was P9,356,100.

Goldilocks is proposing the following prices for individual cakes:

The technical working group (TWG) of Makati’s bids and awards committee (BAC) will further evaluate the documents submitted by Goldilocks.

“We have to validate the submitted documents for us to determine the lowest calculated bid, [the] post qualification [requirements, and] for us to determine the lowest calculated responsive bid,” Makati BAC chairperson Danilo Villas told reporters.

“Once we recommend [that Goldilocks is qualified to become the supplier], we will recommend the issuance of the notice of award,” he added.

The TWG is expected to announce the final supplier for the birthday cakes within the next 7 days.

If approved, Goldilocks will be the cake supplier from August 15 to December 31, 2015.

Cake controversy

The birthday cakes for the Makati elderly became controversial in August 2014, when lawyer Renato Bondal claimed that suspended Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr and his father, former Makati mayor and now Vice President Jejomar Binay, overpriced the cakes.

Bondal alleged that the cakes were bought at P1,000 each, but the city government said the actual price for each cake was only P306.75.  (READ: From cakes to buildings, Binays ‘overprice, chop-chop’)

Until February 2014, Cups & Mugs Kitchenette and Catering Services was the supplier of the birthday cakes. The food company owned by Kim Tun Chong was allegedly a front for the Vice President. (READ: BIR files tax evasion raps vs Makati cake supplier)

In March 2014, Bakerite replaced Cups & Mugs as cake supplier.

However, the final bidding contract was not granted to Bakerite after elected Vice Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña Jr was sworn in as acting mayor of the city, following the 6-month preventive suspension order on Mayor Junjun Binay.

Peña, with the help of sponsors he has not named, has been personally purchasing the cakes until the selection of the winning bidder as cake supplier.

‘Equal’ opportunities to bid

While Goldilocks was the only company that bought the bidding documents, Villas said they gave equal opportunities for other companies to bid.

“Naghintay po kami kung sino ang interesado. Nai-provide po namin ‘yung magandang pagkakataon para sila po ay mabigyan ng equal opportunities,” he said (We waited for any company interested to become a bidder. We gave everyone equal opportunities to bid.)

On July 21, Makati BAC posted the invitation to bid in the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System portal.

The committee also posted an advertisement in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the same day.

Representatives from Goldilocks said they were not authorized to speak to the media when asked about being the sole company bidding for the birthday cakes. – Rappler.com