Friday, October 10, 2025

PPA explains PHP168-M nationwide surveillance project

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) clarified the scope and legality of its 2020 Body-Worn Camera (Phase I and II) project amid allegation by Senator Raffy Tulfo that the PHP168.68- million contract was overpriced and awarded to a supplier with alleged prior deficiencies.

During the Senate subcommittee on finance, which tackled the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Transportation on Thursday, October 9, 2025, Senator Tulfo alleged that the cost per unit of the PPA procured body worn camera was pegged at PHP879,000 to PHP1 million, so much higher than the body-worn cameras procured by the Philippine National Police for PHP135,000 a unit and the ones that can be purchased online for PHP6,000 per piece only.

In an interview at OnePH, the senator prodded DOTr acting chief Giovanni Lopez to investigate this “anomaly.”

In a statement, PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said that all projects of PPA undergo transparent and competitive bidding processes in full compliance with Republic Act No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act. The agency added there was no advance payment given.

On the alleged overpricing of the body worn cameras, GM Santiago said “The unit cost cannot be computed by dividing the contract price by the mere number of cameras alone. This includes nationwide connectivity, backend servers, software, training, and system integration.”

Contrary to claims that the PHP168.68 million project covered only 164 cameras, the PPA clarified that the amount includes the entire surveillance and evidence-management ecosystem for deployment across 22 Port Management Offices (PMOs) nationwide and not just camera units.

On the approved Terms of Reference (TOR), the project scope includes:

•164 body-worn cameras with live streaming, evidence-management, and facial-recognition capabilities

•Encrypted software licenses for live streaming and evidence storage

•Docking and charging stations, RFID systems, and 4 TB data servers

•Dedicated 50 Mbps fiber line, satellite communications, and a 24-month satellite subscription

•Installation, nationwide training, and three-year after-sales support

PPA stresses that the project is a complete digital surveillance infrastructure, not a simple camera purchase.

Single bidder

The agency further said that after careful evaluation and post-qualification, Boston Home, Inc. was declared the Single Calculated and Responsive Bidder with a bid of PHP168,680,000 which is below the Approved Budget for the Contract (PHP170 million). The PPA’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) confirmed that all costs were evaluated against prevailing market prices and verified as reasonable. “All documents, including the Bid Evaluation Report and Post-Qualification Report are reviewed and approved by competent authorities in accordance with R.A. 9184,” emphasized by GM Santiago.

PPA noted that Boston Home, Inc. fully satisfied all eligibility requirements during post-qualification. The supplier’s legal, technical, and financial documents, including certifications from the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) confirming it is not blacklisted by any government entity during the time of procurement in 2020.

Furthermore, Boston Home, Inc. successfully previously completed a PHP217-million similar project for the Philippine Coast Guard, which serves as its Single Largest Completed Contract (SLCC), a key eligibility requirement under the procurement law. “At the time of post-qualification, there were no adverse records or blacklisting orders against Boston Home, Inc. The company met all statutory and documentary requirements,” GM Santiago added.

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