PPP PROJECT
Mini-Amusement Park Brings Smile to the Young Ones
by Resty S. Odon
In the ’70s, local children had limited options in the public playground inside the Municipal Plaza: two slides (one made of thick concrete and another one made of a thick iron sheet), monkey bars, and a couple of seesaws. Sometime in the ’90s, the playground was transferred to the opposite edge of the plaza, and some civic-minded individuals from the Manganaan clan donated funds for the putting up of a concrete dinosaur.
This limited state of affairs due to the turtle-like pace of development is such that when Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao came into the scene, the idea of a children’s playground that matched those food of Manila’s malls and rich enclaves came as a shock. One school teacher, Analyn Sino-Cruz, described this development as “Singa kirmat” or “like lightning” in speed.
In his earlier pronouncement, Mayor Quiambao observed, “Uhaw ang ating mga kababayan sa North Luzon sa entertainment.” That is the reason why he pushed for the creation of a Mini-Amusement Park and not just a park but one with rides, despite some opposition at the Sangguniang Bayan. The Mini-Amusement Park with Rides featured a carousel, a mini-Ferris wheel, train ride, arcade, and children's playground, all matching the latest found in Manila's malls.
A typical reaction from the public was, “Who would have thought?” Then it was followed by this second-thought: “But why not, when after all, the Quiambao-Sabangan administration is an administration of possibilities.”
This latest attractions at the Public Plaza attracted families the night it was officially unveiled by no less than the First Couple on December 16, 2017.
The neighborhood (Poblacion) kids, of course, were elated to be the first to try the new playground and rides.
The park amenities were free except for the rides
which eventually charged the following fees several months after opening: P30
(wheel balloon), P30 (carousel), P25 (train ride). The children of Bayambang
and beyond, of course, came in droves – an unprecedented feat reminiscent of
the Kevin Costner hit film “Field of Dreams,” where a character quipped in the
face of stubborn opposition or seeming impossibility of building a baseball
field out of a corn farm, “If you build it, [they] will come.”
The project went through the P4 (public-private partnership project) route in accordance with Municipal Ordinance No. 8, series of 2018, entitled “An Ordinance Adopting a Public-Private Partnership for the People Initiative for Local Government (LGU P4), Providing for the Procedure for Selecting the Private Sector Proponent and Adopting a Contract Management Framework, in the Municipality of Bayambang.’’ And the offer was made through the so-called Swiss challenge, “a method of public procurement that involves an unsolicited bid for a government project or government services, publication of such a bid, and invitation of third parties to match or better it.”
“A project is considered to involve new concept or technology under Rule 10, Section 10.2 of the BOT law IRR if it possesses at least one (1) of the following attributes: (a) a process which significantly reduces construction costs, accelerates project execution, improves safety, enhances project performance, extends economic life, reduces costs of facility maintenance and operations or reduces negative environmental impact or social/economic disturbances or disruptions either during the construction or operation phase or (b) a process for which the proponent possesses exclusive rights, either world-wide or regionally or intellectual property rights."
The Mini-Amusement Park with Rides project certainly met the above requirements.
According to Special Economic Enterprise (SEE) head Gernalyn Santos, the company that took interest was Carron Amusement Rides Corp., and its bid was published in a national daily of major circulation – the Manila Bulletin, to be exact. However, no other party challenged the original proponent, so the company proceeded with the contract for P10M.
As for the problem of lack of readily available funds, Kasama Kita sa Barangay Foundation, under then Managing Director and ex-Councilor Levin Uy, came to the rescue by temporarily bridging the gap for the LGU.
Not long after, the Mini-Amusement Park with Rides at the town plaza rose up to become a reality – in full view of the public.
The PPP route was deemed necessary because the LGU had no capacity to put up such a project, being inexperienced in the field of amusement parks. It also had limited funds at the given moment. The PPP arrangement hurdled these obstacles.
In the course of operating the new municipal playground, a major problem was encountered. According to SEE head Gernalyn Santos under whose office this project falls, the ride attractions were only seasonal, so these did not become profitable right away.
This problem has been addressed by setting up a Night Market so the municipal plaza grounds would remain alive even in the off season, a market that will attract locals and visitors with affordable offers, from used clothing (ukay-ukay) to fresh fruits and vegetables. This move helped the mini-amusement park to be at least sustainable, considering its operation of maintenance costs including electricity and the salary of employees detailed at the amusement park.
In the long run, the Mini-Amusement Park with Rides has proven to be a wise P10M investment project in more ways than one. In one press conference, a member of the media thoughtfully asked, “Why do you do this?” to refer, of course, to Mayor Quiambao’s insistence on quenching the public’s thirst for good, clean fun. His answer: “Just to see smile on the face of the kids – that’s already priceless for me.”
With the beautiful memories continually being created in the minds of our young children, the older generation can rightfully, if enviously, claim that today’s generation under the Quiambao-Sabangan dispensation is one whole lucky bunch.
References:
Handbook on Philippine Government Procurement. url:
https://www.gppb.gov.ph/laws/laws/RA_9184.pdf
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