Requesting Entity: Philippine International Trading Corporation

Issues Concern: Bid Price Discrepancy

Details

Clarification on the treatment of bid price considering the following discrepancies:
a) Duplicate and triplicate copies reflected a higher total bid price compared to that stated in the original bid;
b) In the original bid, total amount in figures is lower than total amount in words;
c) Unit price in figures is higher than total bid price in figures.

The Original Prevails

The bid price indicated in the original bid prevails over the bid price reflected in the duplicate and triplicate copies. This rule is reflected in the second sentence of Section 23.1 of the Philippine Bidding Documents for Goods, which states: “In the event of any discrepancy between the original and the copies, the original shall prevail.”

Words Over Figures

However, the original bid also contains a discrepancy between the bid price stated in words over that stated in figures. Applying Section 32.4.3 of IRR-A, the bid price stated in words shall prevail over the bid price in figures.

Unit Price Over Total Price

Section 32.4.3 of the IRR-A also states that in case of discrepancies between total prices and unit prices, the latter shall prevail. In the case at hand, there is a discrepancy between the total price (P26,610,640) and the product of the unit price multiplied by the quantity to be procured (P1,580 multiplied by 18,108 is P 28,610,640). Consequently, applying Section 32.4.3, the calculated bid price is P28,610,640.

No Discrepancy Between Submitted and Calculated Bid Price

Since the submitted bid price of P28,610,640 in this case is the same as the calculated bid price of P28,610,640, there is no need to apply the rule under Section 37.1 of IRR-A which states that award of contract shall be at the lower bid price of the two.