Supreme Court E-Library
Information At Your Fingertips

(SGD) ALFONSO G. CUSI

ANNEX “A”


SECTION 1. GOVERNING PRINCIPLES

The procurement  of power supply for the Captive Market shall be governed by the following principles:

1.1 Transparency   in  the  conduct   of  Competitive   Selection   Process   (CSP) through wide dissemination of bid opportunities and participation of all Generation Companies (Gen Cos);

1.2 Competitiveness   by  extending  equal  opportunity  to  eligible  and  qualified
Gencos to participate in the CSP;

1.3 Least cost manner  in ensuring  that each distribution  utility (DU) is able to meet the demand for its Captive Market at any given time;

1.4 Simple,  streamlined  and  efficient  procurement  process  applicable  to  the specific requirements of each DU in accordance with its Distribution Development Plan (DDP). These requirements shall specify the following technical, economic and other parameters: (1) baseload, mid-merit and/or peaking capacities; (ii) the amount of energy to be delivered; (ii) type of fuel or resource,  whether  conventional  fossil  fuel (such  as oil, coal,  or natural gas) or renewable  energy  resources  (such as biomass,  geothermal,  solar, hydro, ocean and wind); (iv) choice of other emerging systems and technology:(v)  environmental  standards,  (vi) timing  and delivery  of supply; and (vii) other considerations of the DU, as may be applicable; and

1.5 Accountability  involved  in the procurement  process  and implementation  of the Power Supply Agreements (PSAs) awarded under the CSP.

SECTION 2. COVERAGE

2.1 This Policy shall govern all DUs, grid and off-grid.

2.2 All  PSAs  shall  be  procured  through  CSP;  Provided  however,  that  the following   instances   shall   warrant   a  Certificate   of  Exemption   from   the Department of Energy (DOE) on the conduct of CSP:

2.2.1  Any  generation   project   owned   by  the  DU  funded   by  grants   or donations.  The  DU  may  be  allowed  to  infuse  internally  generated funds; Provided, that the amount shared by the DU shall not exceed 30% of the total project cost; Provided further, that taxes to be paid by the DU shall not be included in the total project cost;

2.2.2  Negotiated  procurement  of emergency  power  supply;  Provided,  that the cooperation period of the corresponding PSA shall not exceed one (1) year; Provided  further,  that the rate shall not be higher than the latest ERC approved generation tariff for same or similar technology in the area;

2.2.3 Provision of power supply by any mandated Government Owned and Controlled Corporation (GOCC) for off-grid areas prior to, and until the entry of New Power Providers (NPP) in an area; and

2.2.4 Provision of power supply by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corporation through bilateral contracts for the power  produced  from  the  undisposed  generating  assets  and Independent Power Producer (IPP) contracts duly sanctioned by the “Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001” or EPIRA as deemed by the DUs, subject to a periodic review by the DOE.

2.3 The  Certificate  of Exemption  shall  be  issued  by  the  DOE  within  ten  (10)
working days from receipt of the application.

24  For PSAs contemplated under Section 2.2.2, the grant of a Certificate of Exemption  shall  authorize  the  DU  to  immediately  implement  such  PSAs, without prejudice to the evaluation and final decision of the ERC within sixty (60) working days from filing of the relevant application for approval thereof.

2.5 The  DU  shall  be  required  to  inform  the  Energy  Regulatory  Commission (ERC), National Power Corporation (NPC) and National Electrification Administration (NEA) of the exemption.

SECTION 3. DEFINITION OF TERMS

3.1     “Aggregation” refers to the joint action of DUs to aggregate their demand and  energy  requirements  to  jointly  contract  for  their  power  supply  to achieve economies of scale.

3.2     “Aggregated Demand” refers to the consolidated level in MW and volume in MWh of electric power of the DUs hourly, daily, monthly or annually.

3.3     “Base-load”  refers to the minimum amount of electric power delivered or required over a given period of time.

3.4    “Bidding Documents” refers to the complete set of documents given to interested  bidders,  including  at  the  minimum  the  Terms  of  Reference (TOR)  for  technical,  legal  and  financial  requirements  sufficient  to  allow such bidders to submit a qualified bid.

3.5     “Captive Market” refers to the electricity end-users who do not have the choice of a supplier of electricity, as may be determined by the ERC in accordance with EPIRA.

3.6     “Certificate of Exemption” refers to Certificate issued by the DOE under Section 2.2 of this policy.

3.7     “Competitive  Bidding” refers to a method of procurement which is open to participation by any interested party and consists of the following processes: a) advertisement or publication; b) pre-bid conference; c) pre- qualifications d) bid evaluation; e) post-qualification,  if any and h) award of contract.

3.8     “Competitive   Selection   Process”   or  “CSP”   refers   to  the  process wherein  a  Generation  Company  or,  in  the  case  of  off-grid  areas,  New Power Provider, is awarded to supply electric power requirements of a DU through transparent and Competitive bidding undertaken by a DU or by Aggregated  DUs to secure  supply  of electricity  based  on the evaluation criteria  adopted  by the DUs in accordance  with the requirements  of this policy. For purposes of, and throughout the Policy, the terms “Competitive Bidding” and “CSP” shall have the same meaning and shall be used interchangeably.

3.9     “Distribution    Development    Plan”   or   “DDP”   is   the   program   for expansion,   reinforcement   and  rehabilitation   of  the  distribution   system which is prepared by the DU and submitted to the DOE for integration with the Power Development Plan and Philippine Energy Plan. In the case of electric  Cooperatives  (ECS),  such  plans  shall  be submitted  through  the NEA for review and consolidation.

3.10  “Distribution Utility” or “DU” refers to any electric cooperative, private corporation,  government-owned   utility  or  existing  local  government  unit which  has  an  exclusive  franchise  or  is  authorized  by  law  to  distribute electricity to end-users.

3.11  “E-based Power Procurement Information Portal” or “DOE E-based Portal” refers to a portal, to be developed and managed by the DOE that shall  be  used  as  the  primary  and  centralized   source  of  information regarding all CSP activities of all DUs.

3.12   “EPIRA”  refers to Republic  Act No. 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001.

3.13   “Emergency Power” refers to the power required by the DU in the event that a DU’s actual power supply falls below its load demand due to Force Majeure and Fortuitous Events or other analogous circumstances  that are beyond  the  control  of  the  DU  and  such  shortfall  cannot  be  addressed through any reasonable means within a month, subject to the final determination by the DOE.

3.14   “Energy  Regulatory  Commission”  or  “ERC”  refers  to  the  regulatory agency created under EPIRA.

3.15   “Generation   Company”   or  “Genco”  refers  to  any  person  or  entity authorized  by  the  ERC  to  operate  facilities  used  in  the  generation  of electricity.

3.16   “Grid”  refers  to  the  high  voltage  backbone  system  of  interconnected transmission lines, substations and related facilities, located in each of the island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, or as may otherwise be determined  by  the  ERC  in  accordance  with  Section  45  of  the  EPIRA, together with the sub-transmission systems that are connected to or part of that system and are owned and operated by the Regulated Entity.

3.17   “Joint  Third  Party  Bids  and  Awards  Committee”  or “Joint  TPBAC” refers to Aggregated DUs whose composition where established through a Memorandum of Agreement of the participating DUs in accordance with Section 5 of this policy.

3.18 “National  Electrification  Administration”  or “NEA” refers to the government   agency   created   under   the  Presidential   Decree   269,   as amended by RA 10531.

3.19   “Off-grid” areas that are not connected to the main high voltage backbone system.

3.20   “Power Supply Procurement Plan” or “PSPP” refers to a DU’s plan for the acquisition  of a variety of demand-side  and supply-side  resources  to cost-effectively  meet the electricity needs of its customers. The “PSPP” is an integral part of the DU’s DDP.

3.21   “Renewable  Portfolio  Standards”  or “RPS”  refers  to a market-based policy that requires electricity suppliers to source an agreed portion of their energy supply from eligible renewable energy (RE) resources.

3.22   “Replacement   Power”  refers  to  the  electricity  to  be  delivered  by  a winning generation company to the DU when its power plant is on forced or unscheduled outage.

3.23   “Subsidized   Approved  Generation   Rate”  or  “SAGR”  refers  to  the generation rate expressed in peso per kilowatt hour, which the ERC has approved  for  an  EC  to  charge  its  consumers  for  electricity  generation services.

3.24   “Third Party Auctioneer” or “TPA” refers to a team of private individuals or a private corporation duly recognized in the Philippines with experience in competitive bidding and with sufficient knowledge in the electric power industry.

3.25   “Third Party Bids and Awards  Committee”  or “TPBAC”  refers to the third  party  committee  established  in  accordance  with  Section  5  of  this policy to spearhead and manage a DU’s CSP.

SECTION 4. DISTRIBUTION  DEVELOPMENT  PLAN (DDP) AND THE POWER SUPPLY PROCUREMENT PLAN (PSPP)

4.1 Each  DU  shall  annually  develop  and  submit  to  the  DOE  its  DDP,  which contains  the PSPP. The DU shall undertake  a cost-benefit  analysis  of the power supply requirements for the Captive Market, taking into consideration, among others, the following factors: a) prevailing cost or price in the market; b) energy demand  forecasting;  c) power system; d) load matrix; e) energy mix; and other requirements under the policy for DDP.

4.2 The PSPP shall contain, the following:

4.2.1  Historical  data  on peak  demand,  supply  contract,  energy  sales  and energy purchase;

4.2.2  10-year   monthly   peak   demand   forecast;   energy   sales;   existing
contracts (expiration);

4.2.3  Committed energy and demand for CSP;

4.2.4  Currently   approved   SAGR   for  Off-grid   DUs  to  be  passed-on   to consumers;

4.2.5  Current supply and demand status of the DU; and

4.2.6 Indicative schedule for CSP taking into consideration the required construction period in the case of new generation plants.

4.3 Pursuant to the EPIRA and its implementing Rules and Regulation, the final annual ten-year  DDP must be submitted  to the DOE not later than 15th  of March of each year and must be supported with a Board Resolution and/or notarized Secretary’s Certificate.

SECTION 5. THIRD PARTY BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

5.1 Third Party Bids and Awards Committee (TPBAC)

5.1.1 The DU, through its Board of Directors (BOD), shall establish an independent TPBAC to spearhead and manage the CSP. The TPBAC shall comply with the policy and procedures in the conduct of CSP, as provided  for  in  this  policy.  The  TPBAC  shall  be  accountable  to  its decision  in the conduct  of the CSP; Provided  however,  that the DU shall bear the expenses  for any dispute  or litigation  arising from the CSP.

5.1.2  The DU, through its Board of Directors (BOD), shall designate five (5) members of the TPBAC where three (3) members will come from the DU and the two (2) members  will come from the captive  customers that are not directly or indirectly related/affiliated  to the DU. As such, the TPBAC shall be composed of the following:

5.1.2.1  One DU officer or employee knowledgeable in the technical operations of the DU;

5.1.2.2 One  DU  officer  or  employee  with  knowledge  and/or experience with any local or international competitive bidding procedures;

5.1.2.3  One lawyer;

5.1.2.4  One  finance  officer  or  accountant  that  has  knowledge  on electricity pricing; and

5.1.2.5 One Technical person, or a person with knowledge and/or experience with any local or international competitive bidding procedures.

One of the last three (3) representatives shall represent the DU.

For all DUs, the selection process of the representatives of the captive customers to the TPBAC shall be submitted to the DOE for approval.

For  ECs,   member-Consumers   who   are  not  directly   or  indirectly employed by the EC shall qualify as members of the TPBAC.

5.1.3  The  BOD  of the DU  shall  only  serve  as an observer  and  not as a member of the TPBAC.

5.1.4  The Chair  and Vice Chair  shall be selected  by the members  of the TPBAC. The Chairman shall only vote in case of a tie.

5.1.5  A quorum of the TPBAC shall be composed of a simple majority of all voting members of the TPBAC.

5.1.6  A decision on all questions of the TPBAC shall require the majority of all the voting members of the TPBAC.

5.2 TPBAC Technical Working Group (TWG) and Secretariat

5.2.1 The BOD of the DU shall designate the TPBAC TWG and TPBAC Secretariat, to be headed by a regular or permanent employee of the DU, preferably an officer, to assist the TPBAC in the performance of its functions.

5.2.2  The  TPBAC  TWG  shall  be  composed  of  the  technical,  legal  and financial personnel of the DU.

5.2.3  The TPBAC TWG shall assist the TPBAC in the technical components of  the  CSP,  such  as  development   of  the  PSPP,  TOR,  eligibility screening, evaluation of bids, and post-qualification.

5.2.4  The  TPBAC  Secretariat  shall  provide  administrative  support  to  the TPBAC for this purpose and serve as the keeper of all records and documents relating to all CSPs conducted by the DU.

5.2.5  The TPBAC Secretariat shall fully document each step of the CSP and prepare and keep a written minutes of all the TPBAC meetings and proceedings.

5.3 Joint TPBAC of Aggregated DUs

5.3.1 In the case of Aggregated DUs, a Joint TPBAC and its composition including its corresponding TPBAC TWG and TPBAC Secretariat shall be  established  through  a  Memorandum  of  Agreement  (MOA).  The Joint TPBAC shall have five (5) members,  where three (3) members will come from any of the participating DUs and the two (2) members will come from the captive customers  of any of the participating  DUs that are not directly or indirectly related/affiliated  to the DUs. As such, the Joint TPBAC shall be composed of the following:

5.3.1.1  One DU officer or employee of any participating DU who is knowledgeable in the technical operations of DUs;
5.3.1.2 One DU officer or employee of any participating DU with knowledge and/or experience with any local or international competitive bidding procedures;
5.3.1.3  One lawyer;
5.3.1.4  One  finance  officer  or  accountant  that  has  knowledge  on electricity pricing; and
5.3.1.5 One Technical person, or a person with knowledge and/or experience with any local or international competitive bidding procedures.

One of the last three (3) representatives shall represent any of the participating DUs.

For all DUs, the selection process of the captive customers’ representatives  to the Joint TPBAC shall be submitted to the DOE for approval.   For  ECs,   member-consumers   who   are  not  directly   or indirectly employed by the EC shall qualify as members of the Joint TPBAC.

5.3.2  The  BOD  of  any  of  the  participating  DUs  shall  only  serve  as  an observer and not as a member of the Joint TPBAC.

5.3.3  The Chair  and Vice Chair  shall be selected  by the members  of the Joint TPBAC. The Chairman shall only vote in case of a tie.

5.3.4  A quorum of the Joint TPBAC shall be composed of a simple majority of all voting members of the Joint TPBAC.

5.3.5  A  decision  on  all  questions  of  the  Joint  TPBAC  shall  require  the majority of all the voting members of the Joint TPBAC.

5.4 Joint TPBAC Technical Working Group (TWG) and Secretariat

5.4.1  The BOD  of the participating  DUs  shall designate  the Joint  TPBAC TWG and Joint TPBAC Secretariat, to be headed by a regular or permanent  employee  of any  of the  participating  DUs,  preferably  an officer, to assist the Joint TPBAC in the performance of its functions;

5.4.2  The Joint TPBAC TWG shall be composed of the technical, legal and financial personnel of the participating DUs.

5.4.3 The Joint TPBAC TWG shall assist the Joint TPBAC in the technical components of the CSP, such as development of the PSPP, TOR, eligibility screening, evaluation of bids, and post-qualification.

5.4.4  The Joint TPBAC  Secretariat  shall provide  administrative  support  to the  Joint  TPBAC  for  this  purpose  and  serve  as  the  keeper  of  all records   and   documents   relating   to  all  CSPs   conducted   by  the participating DUs.

5.4.5  The  Joint  TPBAC  Secretariat  shall  fully  document  each  step  of the CSP and prepare and keep a written minutes of all the Joint TPBAC meetings and proceedings.

SECTION 6. THIRD PARTY AUCTIONEER

6.1 In lieu of the TPBAC or the Joint TPBAC, the DU may opt to engage a Third Party Auctioneer (TPA) to conduct and manage its CSP in accordance with this Policy.

6.2 The TPA shall be a team of private individuals or a private corporation duly recognized in the Philippines with experience in competitive bidding and with sufficient knowledge in the electric power industry: Provided, that the TPA is not in any way connected to any electric power industry players: Provided further,  that  the  TPA  shall  have  representation  from  the  consumers  as provided for in this policy.

6.3 The ERC shall provide the guidelines for the accreditation of TPAs within 60 days upon the effectivity of this Policy.

SECTION 7. CSP OBSERVERS

7.1 To assure all parties to the CSP for power supply that the process employed is  conducted  in  an  open,  transparent,  effective,  efficient,  and  equitable manner,   the  TPBAC,   Joint   TPBAC   or  TPA   shall   invite   Observers   in accordance with this Policy.

7.2 For Grid Areas, Observers shall be extended to the DOE, ERC and NEA, in the case of ECs. For Off-Grid Areas, an invitation in writing and e-mail shall also be extended to NPC to act as an Observer in all of the bidding activities provided in this policy.

7.3 CSP Observers shall not participate in the proceedings and have no right to vote. Observers shall be given written and e-mail invitations at least five (5) working days before the date of the procurement stages.

7.4 An invitation in writing and e-mail to Observers shall be extended at each of the following stages of the CSP:

7.4.1  Pre-bid Conference;
7.4.2  Pre-qualification, if any;
7.4.3  Submission and Opening of Bids;
7.4.4  Bid Evaluation;
7.4.5  Negotiations;
7.4.6  Post-qualification, if any;
7.4.7  Awarding; and
7.4.8  Contract Signing.

7.5 Observers shall be allowed access to the following documents upon their request: (a) minutes of TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA meetings; (b) abstract of Bids; (c) post-qualification summary report; (d) video recording of CSP proceedings; (e) opened proposals; (f) Bid Documents and other related documents.

7.6 The DU is required to make and keep, as part of the TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA records,  a complete  and unedited  video record of the proceedings  in cases where no Observer is present.

7.7 The absence  of Observers  will not nullify the CSP proceedings;  Provided, that  Observers  have  been  duly  invited  in  writing  and  e-mail  within  the prescribed period.

SECTION 8. COMPETITIVE SELECTION PROCESS

8.1 The  DUs  shall  comply  with  the  standard  procurement   procedures, documents and forms in the procurement of power supply for their Captive Market under this Policy.

8.2 The TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA shall submit to the DOE, and, in the case of the ECs, through the NEA, the following:

8.2.1  PSPP as incorporated in the current year DDP;

8.2.2  Distribution  Impact  Study  (DIS)/  Load  Flow  Analysis  conducted  that serves as the basis of the TOR; and

8.2.3  Due diligence report on the existing generation plants.

8.3 The NEA shall review the submitted PSPP within ten (10) working days upon receipt prior to its submission to the DOE.

8.4 Preparation of Bid Documents

The  TWG  of  the  TPBAC,  Joint  TPBAC  or  TPA  shall  prepare  the  Bid Documents, which shall be composed of the following:

8.4.1  The TOR based on the recent PSPP submission  shall which, at the minimum, contains the following information:

8.4.1.1  Cooperation period with the Generation Company or the NPP;

8.4.1.2  Demand and Energy for CSP;

8.4.1.3  Preferred   technology,   if   any,   and   justification   for   such preference;

8.4.1.4  Target Commercial Operation Date (COD), in the case of new generating capacities and the target date of delivery;

8.4.1.5  Replacement Power Requirement;

8.4.1.6  Enumeration  of  cost  items  to  be  passed-on  to  the  captive customers;

8.4.1.7  Penalty  provisions   in  cases  of  delay  in  construction   and commercial operations for new generating capacities; and

8.4.1.8  Grounds  for  termination  of  the  PSA  during  the  cooperation period.

8.4.2  The Invitation to Bid shall, at the minimum, indicate the following:

8.4.2.1  Cooperation Period/Contract Year;

8.4.2.2  Demand and Energy for CSP;

8.4.2.3  Eligibility requirements;

8.4.2.4  Information Memorandum;

8.4.2.5  Instruction to Bidders; and

8.4.2.6  Schedule and Deadlines up to the Notice to Proceed

8.4.3  Corporate Profile of the bidders;

8.4.4  Technical Proposal’s requirements;

8.4.5  Financial Proposal’s requirements;

8.4.6  Method and Criteria for evaluation;

8.4.7  Bidding Procedure;

8.4.8  Awarding, Signing of Contract, and Notice of Implementation;

8.4.9  Acceptable Form of Bid and Performance Securities;

8.4.10 Proposed Timelines or Milestones;

8.4.11 Power Supply Agreement Template;

8.4.12 Notarized Statement attesting to the information submitted for the bid;

8.4.13 Protest Mechanism; and

8.4.14 Other   documents   required   and   mandated   by  any   government agencies.

8.5 Publication and Posting

The TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA shall cause the publication and posting of the Invitation to Bid for the procurement opportunity in accordance with this policy for the period specified therein.

8.5.1  The TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA shall post the Invitation to bid in its website, if there is any, and in the DOE E-based portal and in the NEA website, in the case of ECs. The TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA shall continuously  update the DOE and NEA on the status thereof through their respective E-based portals.

The TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA shall likewise ensure that all bid bulletins  and related announcements  shall be posted at the DOE E- based portal and NEA website, in the case of ECs.

In  cases  where  the  DUs  encounter  problems  in  the  posting  of  the necessary pieces of information  in the respective E-based portal, the

DUs  shall  inform  the  DOE  and  NEA  for  assistance  in  the  required posting.

8.5.2  The TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA shall also cause the publication of the Invitation to Bid in a newspaper of general circulation once weekly for two (2) consecutive weeks.

8.5.3  The TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA may opt to, in addition to Section
8.5.2, published the invitation to bid in one (1) local newspaper of local circulation  in the region,  province,  city  or municipality  indicating  the CSP schedules,  among  other necessary  information  for the bidders, once weekly for two (2) consecutive weeks.

8.5.4  In addition to publication, the TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA shall exert its best effort to disseminate its Invitation to Bid to all Gen Cos.

8.5.5  For transparency,  all stages and updates  on the CSP that coincides with its CSP schedule must be provided to the DOE and NEA in case of ECS, for posting on the DOE E-based portal and NEA website, respectively, including but not limited to the Bid Bulletins relating to the following:

8.5.5.1  Invitation to Bid;

8.5.5.2  Pre-qualification, if any;

8.5.5.3  Pre-bid Conference;

8.5.5.4  Submission and Opening of Bids;

8.5.5.5  Bid Evaluation;

8.5.5.6  Post-qualification, if any:

8.5.5.7  Awarding and Contract Signing; and

8.5.5.8  Joint filing before the ERC.

8.6 Pre-Bid Conference

8.6.1  The TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA shall conduct a pre-bid conference to address the queries from the prospective bidders.

8.6.2  The   pre-bid   conference   shall   discuss,   among   other   things,   the eligibility requirements, the TOR and the technical, legal and financial components of the PSA to be bid out.

8.6.3  The TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA shall reply to the written queries or clarifications of the Gen Cos who have purchased the Bid Documents in the form of Bid Bulletins.

8.6.4  Decisions of the TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA amending any provision of the Bidding Documents shall be issued in writing through a Supplemental/Bid Bulletin at least seven (7) working days before the deadline for the submission and receipt of bids.

8.6.5 Supplemental/Bid   Bulletins   may   be  issued   in  the   following circumstances:

8.6.5.1  Request  of the prospective  GenCos  for clarification(s)  on or for an interpretation of any part of the Bid Documents; and

8.6.5.2 Upon the initiative of the TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA for purposes   of  clarifying   or  modifying   any  provision   of  the Bidding  Documents.  Any modification  to the Bid Documents shall be identified as an amendment.

8.7 Bid Evaluation Criteria and Process

8.7.1  The  TPBAC,  Joint  TPBAC   or  TPA  shall  undergo   a  qualification evaluation of the legal, technical, and financial requirements submitted by GenCos using the criteria indicated in the Bid Documents.

8.8 Receipt and Opening of Bids

8.8.1  The  bidders  shall  be required  to submit  their  bids  on or before  the deadline stipulated in the Bid Documents and the supplemental Bid Bulletins.

8.8.2  The opening  of bids shall take place in the presence  of all qualified bidders and the TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA.

8.8.3  The  TPBAC,  Joint  TPBAC  or  TPA  shall  proceed  to  determine  the winning  bidder  using  the  evaluation  criteria  prescribed  in  the  Bid Documents.

8.8.4  The winning bidder should undergo a pre-/post-qualification  process in order to determine whether the concerned bidder complies with and is responsive  to all the requirements  and conditions  as specified  in the TOR and other pertinent bidding documents.

8.9 Within  five  (5)  working  days  upon  signing  of  the  PSA,  the  DU  and  the winning bidder shall jointly file the PSA to the ERC, copy-furnished the DOE and NEA, in case of ECs.

8.10   Each  CSP  shall  be  completed  within  five  (5)  months  from  the  time  of publication of invitation to bid until submission of the PSA to the ERC.

8.11   All expenses incurred in the conduct of the CSP shall be shouldered by the DUs. The Dus may, however, recover these expenses through the TOR.

SECTION 9. DIRECT NEGOTIATION IN FAILED CSPs

9.1 Direct negotiation may be made by the DUs after at least two (2) failed CSPs and there is no outstanding dispute on the conducted CSP.

9.2 A  CSP,  after  following   the  process  as  contemplated   in  this  policy,  is considered failed only when, during its conduct, any of the following circumstances exists:

9.2.1  No proposal was received by the DU;
9.2.2  Only one Genco submitted an offer; or
9.2.3 Competitive  offers  of  prospective  Gencos  failed  to  meet  the requirements prescribed in the bid documents.

SECTION 10. COMPLIANCE TO RENEWABLE ENERGY LAW

Pursuant to Republic Act No. 9513, or the “Renewable Energy Act of 2008,” DUs and Retail Electricity Supplier (RES) shall comply with the DOE Department Circulars to be issued pertaining to non-fiscal incentives.

SECTION 11. NEA’S ASSISTANCE TO ECs

11.1   NEA  shall  be  responsible  to  determine  the  technical  and  institutional capability of TPBAC or Joint TPBAC of the ECs and the qualifications of its officers   and  members   in  conducting   a  fair  and  transparent   CSP  in accordance with this Policy.

11.2  For ECs with limited capability to undertake CSP, NEA shall provide the necessary assistance and resources including, but not limited to, the mobilization of competent manpower, which shall be at no expense to the EC.

SECTION 12. REGULATORY SUPPORT

12.1   The ERC,  in the exercise  of its powers  and functions  under  the EPIRA shall  establish   and  impose  existing  fines/  and  or  penalties   for  non- compliance  of  electric  power  industry  participants  to  support  the enforcement of this policy.

12.2   The  ERC  shall  have  the  power  to  review  whether  the  parties  have complied   with  the  requirements   of  CSP  and  shall  issue  appropriate regulations upon as may be necessary.

12.3   The  ERC  shall  develop  a  PSA  template  that  shall  be  used  by  electric power industry participants within 60 days upon the effectivity of this policy.

12.4   The ERC shall develop  rules and procedures  to address  dispute  arising from  the conduct  of the CSP  within  60 days  upon  the effectivity  of this Policy.

12.5   The NEA shall develop rules and procedure to support this policy within 60 days upon its effectivity.

SECTION 13. PROTEST MECHANISM AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

13.1   Decision of the TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA at any stage of the CSP may be questioned by filing a written request for reconsideration within three (3) calendar  days  upon  receipt  of written  notice  or upon  verbal  notification. The TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA shall decide on the request for reconsideration within seven (7) days from receipt thereof.

In the event, that the request for reconsideration is denied, decisions of the TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA may be protested in writing to the governing board of the DU or its duly authorized officer/s.

The protest must be filed within seven (7) calendar days from receipt of the resolution denying its request for reconsideration.  A protest shall be made by filing a verified position with the governing board of the DU or its duly authorized  officer/s,  accompanied  by  the  payment  of  a  non-refundable protest  fee  which  shall  be  determined  by  the  concerned  TPBAC,  Joint TPBAC or TPA.

The verified position paper shall contain the following information: name of bidder,  address,  name  of  project,  brief  statement  of  facts,  issue  to  be resolved and such other matters and information pertinent and relevant to the proper resolution of the protest.

The position paper is verified by an affidavit that the affiant has read and understood  the contents  thereof  and that all allegations  therein  are true and correct of his personal knowledge or based on authentic records. An unverified  position  paper shall be considered  unsigned  and produces  no legal  effect  and  non-payment  of  protest  fee  will  result  to  the  outright dismissal of the protest.

Protests  shall  be  resolved  within  seven  (7)  calendar  days  from  receipt thereof. Decision of the governing board of the DU or its duly authorized officer/s shall be final. Court action may be resorted to after protests have been resolved with finality.

13.2   Any conflict or dispute of any kind between the parties in connection with the implementation  of the contract, the parties shall make every effort to first resolve amicably by mutual consultation or shall be submitted to arbitration  in the Philippines  according  to the provisions  of Republic  Act No. 876 (Arbitration Law) and Republic Act No. 9285 (Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 2004) or by mutual agreement, the parties may agree in writing to resort to other alternative modes of dispute resolution.

SECTION 14. FINES AND PENALTIES

14.1   Without prejudice to criminal liability, non-compliance  with any provision of this Policy shall, after due process, subject to the non-complying party to administrative sanctions following the ERC's Amendment on the Policy to Govern  the Imposition  of Administrative  Sanctions  in the Form  of Fines and Penalties Pursuant to Section 46 of Republic Act No. 9136, such as but not limited to:

14.1.1   Failure to comply with the conduct of CSP;
14.1.2   Failure to submit reportorial  requirements  relative to CSP and/or PSA;
14.1.3   Disclosing confidential classified information;
14.1.4   Soliciting  or  accepting,  directly  or  indirectly,  any  gift,  gratuity, favor, or any monetary  value from prospective  CSP participants; and
14.1.5   Gross negligence or serious misconduct of TPBAC, Joint TPBAC or TPA members.

SECTION 15. TRANSITORY PROVISION

Upon  the  effectivity  of  this  policy,  all  prospective   PSAs  shall  hereafter  be procured in accordance with this policy.

SECTION 16. REPEALING CLAUSE

16.1   Sections  3 and 4 of DOE Department  Circular  No. DC2015-06-0008  are hereby repealed.  All other parts of Department  Circular  No. DC2015-06-
0008, which are not affected thereby, shall continue to be in full force and effect.

16.2   Any issuance made by any GOCCs regarding  CSP inconsistent  with this policy is hereby repealed.

16.3   Nothing in this Policy shall be construed as to amend, supersede, or repeal any of the mechanism or institutions already existing or responsibilities already allocated or provided for under any existing law, rule, or contract.

SECTION 17. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE

If for any reason  that any section  of this policy is declared  unconstitutional  or invalid, such parts not affected shall remain in full force and effect.