A Capitol executive official has assured critics that there was nothing wrong in the purchase of giant clams, which were used to revive a deteriorating marine ecosystem in various coastal areas in the province. Provincial Agriculturist and Social Economic and Environment Management (SEEM) Cluster Head Liza M. Quirog, when reached for comment on the news item that came out of a weekly paper (not Bohol Sunday Post) last Sunday, said that her comments and explanations on the procurement process of the giant clams was contained in her August 16, 2013 letter to Gov. Edgar Chatto when she was asked regarding the then COA Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) 2013-034. The Provincial Government has already submitted its comments on the COA disallowance which is now pending appeal.

Quirog said that the “Project Team has studied in detail the different options of procuring the giant clams, including the Agency-to-Agency mode.” Estimates as to possible expenses that may be incurred in the procurement, including shipment to Bohol were thoroughly conducted and the Team found out that “procuring the clams through bidding was the best option” to ensure the maximum percentage of survival of the clams when they reach Bohol. Giant clams, humungous as they maybe, are fragile creatures. It can only survive up to 11 hours of being taken out of the sea. Beyond that, its probability to survive will decline per hour of delay from being returned to its habitat. With this in consideration, the Project Team, of which Quirog leads, has prepared cost estimates including transportation requirement, time element, physiological requirements and relative expenses based on the figures of the studies made by Dr. Suzanne Licuanan, the UP MSI Giant Clam Project Leader.

A cost comparison was then shown by Quirog to this writer wherein the PGBh will spend P2,069,300 for the purchase and transport of 200pcs of giant clam breeders if transaction is made directly with UP MSI with a risk of 75% mortality of clams for not being able to load the cargo on a commercial plane amounting to P525,000 as compared to P1,225,000 if PGBh contracts thru a supplier and partner agencies with only 10% risk of mortality at P87,500. Though UP MSI has the largest number of giant clams in their ocean nursery it is not the only institution conducting a study on these marine creatures. However, it has no mandate to deliver goods & services required to be procured. Under the implementing guidelines of RA 9184 on Agency to Agency, one of the conditions to be complied is that servicing agency has the mandate to deliver goods and services and servicing agency owns or has access to the necessary tools required for the project. Incidentally, UP MSI is not mandated to deliver goods and services.

Quirog added that when she had a talk with Dr. Licuanan, UP MSI only has two staff and conducts trainings and seminar for culture of giant clams and “does not sell nor supply their giant clams nor deliver their clams to buyers”. As to the findings of the COA that there is a P181,340 overprice in the purchase of giant clam “since the PGBh transacted it with a middleman” providing a “loss for the PGBh,” Quirog clarified that there was no loss on the part of the government in this transaction. In fact, the decision of the Project Team to transact with a supplier was successful since it was the supplier who assumed the mortality risk of the giant clams. Besides, the price is very much within the agency's budget estimate, Quirog said. She has confirmed that there were giant clams that died while in the holding site inside the Marine Protected Area in Barangay Bingag, in Dauis town, but it was replaced by the supplier. In fact, 220 out of the total 241 giant clams brought by the supplier to Bohol survived even if the PGBh paid for only 200 giant clams.