Court’s ruling on CJH case up: Camp John Hay lots set for bidding, development

BAGUIO CITY – Twenty hectares within Camp John Hay here would be developed with construction to take place soon to build more facilities like hotels but no trees would be cut, John Hay Management Corp. president and chief executive officer Jamie Eloise Agbayani said.

This, even as an arbitration court is set to hand down its ruling anytime on the P10-billion suit filed by the Camp John Hay Development Corp. against the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

BCDA president Arnel Casanova said the case may be resolved soon.

Evidentiary hearings before the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center Inc. were concluded last January. 

Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan said he wished the case be resolved soonest for the development of Camp John Hay to proceed as the impasse is depriving the city of its 25 percent share from the Camp John Hay lease rentals paid to the BCDA.

This, as Agbayani said the JHMC, this year, will bid out infrastructure projects for accommodation and commercial retail facilities within the former American military camp.

The JHMC is the implementing agency of the BCDA over Camp John Hay.

Of the 20 hectares the JHMC is planning to bid for development, at least 10 hectares will cater  to accommodation cluster, Agbayani said

 “Rest assured that as part of the terms of references like for the accommodation cluster that will be bid out which is about two hectares of land, we are very strict that no trees will be cut,” said Agbayani told a media forum.

CJHDevco sued the BCDA in the arbitration court for damages amounting to P10 billion in 2012 after the state-run firm refused to set up a One Stop Action Center (OSAC) in the area as it has committed after the two parties signed a revised memorandum of agreement (RMOA) in 2008.

The RMOA came after the first arbitration case that was filed by CJHDevco against BCDA in 2005 was resolved.

The BCDA committed the OSAC in the RMOA to assist CJHDevco in processing licenses and permits for it to make up for lost time in developing the tourism facility.

CJHDevco executives said they were rushing development of Camp John Hay after the Supreme Court declared the area no longer a special economic zone, affecting projects there.

Congress, however, restored the special economic zone status of Camp John Hay.

CJHDevco officials said it has invested over P5 billion in developing Camp John Hay and has remitted over P1.4 billion in lease rentals to the BCDA.

They expressed concern since they were awarded the project 17 years ago, only 20 percent has materialized allegedly due to various breaches of contract by the BCDA, including the failure to set up the OSAC.

CJHDevco officials said the development project should have been completed in five years at a cost of only P2.5 billion.

This, as Agbayani said of 625 hectares total land area of Camp John Hay, 301 hectares are for  special economic zones and 40 hectares for development such as construction of infrastructures for business this year while 324 hectares compose  the John Hay reservation area where  13 barangays are.

She said they were maintaining their mandate in protecting 52 percent of the forest cover of the city of Baguio which is in John Hay.

“We take this very seriously and continue to implement programs to further enhance the forest and environment management of the CJH forest reservation,” she said.

Agbayani said during her administration, they have not processed tree cutting permit for its locators or residential structures.  Agbayani was appointed in 2010.

JHMC has already counted 68,000 trees in at least 150 hectares and the tree counting will continue and will be disseminated to the public as soon as it will be finished.

Agbayani said that the JHMC also has programs in support of the climate change and environmental programs of the government particularly the Executive Order 23 by conducting regular tree planting activities inside the camp.

She added the JHMC and the Benguet State University have collaborated to study condition of the Benguet pine trees inside the camp.

She said they asked help and expertise of BSU to stop pest infestation and save full-grown healthy Benguet pine trees in Camp John Hay reservation area infected   by bark beetles which attack the pine tree bark leading to death of trees.

Meanwhile, Agbayani said air quality inside the CJH reservation is  being monitored regularly with the help of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau.

Latest monitoring results showed that the air quality was very good and even cleaner than the standards set by the DENR despite the monitoring machine being placed in the middle of the road near the Mile Hi Center.

Agbayani said CHJ will continue to be the ‘lungs of the city’ by maintaining good air quality and  the buffer of air pollution of the city. – With a report from Redjie Melvic Cawis