A confident city administrator Bonifacio dela Pena said Wednesday that bidding for two big projects costing at least P500 million at the Baguio athletic bowl are expected to take place this month.

During the City Hall Hour at the Baguio Session Hall, dela Pena said that the city’s designs has been reconciled with the one made by the Department of Public Works and Highways for the P381 million Youth Convergence and Sports Complex.

“Bidding for this project will either be on the third week of this month or first week of April,” dela Pena said.

He said that the bidding for this bigger project which is being anticipated by the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation will be delayed because they need to get the best materials.

“We have one supplier, but then we need at least two so we can have the best materials,” said dela Pena, referring to the floorings of the gym and other facilities within the sports complex.

The multi-level parking building with a view deck that will rise at the dilapidated small grandstand or bandstand costing P110 million will be up for bidding on the second week of this month.

The city will finance the bulk of the amount with its P441 million exposure while the DPWH – Baguio Engineering District will shoulder the remaining P50 million.

“We are ready for the bidding this month,” said dela Pena.

Dela Pena said that the DPWH has looked into the budget of the sports complex which was earlier pegged at P434 million, but then revisions in the design brought it down by P391 million or a P43 million reduction which will not affect the over-all design.

Dela Pena said that the two projects should have been bid out at the same time, “but we are looking at the best materials for our sports complex,” dela Pena.

“We need at least two more suppliers so we can assure to have the best materials for this sports facility,” he added.

The projects were supposed to be implemented as early as March last year but then it was moved to a later date when the city was placed in total lockdown.

All constructions resumed only in October of last year after the city was downgraded to modified general modified community quarantine but they could not proceed with the work because of the shortage of funding.

Dela Pena announced the projects as early as January of last year during the sports summit for the Sports Code at the Supreme Hotel.

Meanwhile, he said works for the expansion of the big grandstand is going on smoothly. “Tuloy tuloy na ang trabaho (work will be non-stop), he said.

In fact, the first floor of the extension project has already been completed and works will now be for the bleachers.

The work by Vision 3000 will see shower rooms, athletes lounge, workout station and even offices at the 50 meter extension of the grandstand that will see its capacity increase by nearly 500 seats, added dela Pena.

Four light towers will be erected to allow trainings even at nights.

Vision 3000 will also see that improvements will be made on the big grandstand, including the walls that are now being used for the Sports Legends and Team Lakay murals, said Paul Rillorta of the city sports office.