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Louella Desiderio - The Philippine Star
March 11, 2025 | 12:00am
It also said it is willing to pay the rentals due to CJH Development Corp. (CJHDevCo).
Businessworld / CAMP JOHN HAY
MANILA, Philippines — State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has signed lease agreements with over 95 percent of homeowners in the Camp John Hay in Baguio City.
It also said it is willing to pay the rentals due to CJH Development Corp. (CJHDevCo).
“We have more than 100 of these homeowners who have gladly signed contracts with us. And we intend to close or conclude our arrangement with all these homeowners,”BCDA president and CEO Joshua Bingcang said in an interview with Money Talks aired over One News yesterday.
He said the new contracts would give the homeowners a fresh start, covering 25 years, plus another 25 years.
For the hotel owners, he said the BCDA is studying the arrangements that can be made.
As the affected unit owners and investors in Camp John Hay include Korean retirees, Bingcang said the BCDA is also working with the Korean Embassy to make sure their grievances and concerns are addressed.
He said the original contract entered into by BCDA with CJHDevCo for the lease of the 247-hectare property in Camp John Hay was only for 25 years and any renewal must be agreed upon by the parties.
Earlier, CJHDevCo chairman and CEO Robert John Sobrepeña called on the BCDA to respect the rights of its sub-lessees in Camp John Hay after the government’s recovery of the property earlier this year.
He said CJHDevCo is willing to help these sub-lessees assert their rights over their properties by paying for the legal fees.
According to CJHDevCo, there are 417 condotel owners, 159 estate lot owners and 2,500 golf club members affected by the BCDA’s takeover at Camp John Hay.
Properties of unit owners who purchased from Fil-Estate Management Inc., CJHDevCo or by third parties were sealed and issued notices to vacate after the BCDA’s formal takeover in January this year.
The BCDA regained control of the area leased to CJHDevCo after the Baguio Regional Trial Court upheld a Supreme Court (SC) ruling in October last year, which denied with finality the motions for reconsideration filed by CJHDevCo and its third party respondents to prevent the recovery of the property.
The SC has also upheld the 2015 arbitral ruling that ordered CJHDevCo to return the property and all improvements to BCDA, while the BCDA was directed to refund CJHDevCo rent amounting to P1.42 billion.
While CJHDevCo has turned over the project, Sobrepeña said it has not received the payment from the BCDA.
Bingcang said BCDA is willing to pay CJHDevCo and the amount has been placed in an escrow account.
“Inasmuch as the BCDA is willing to pay, the Commission on Audit (COA) process requires CJHDevCo to file a claim with and get approval from COA for the amount to be released,” Leilani Macasaet, vice president for public affairs at BCDA, said yesterday.
She also said that under the SC ruling, CJHDevCo’s obligation to vacate the leased premises is not contingent upon BCDA’s full payment.
“Moreover, CJHDevCo in claiming the P1.4 billion should comply with COA rules,” she said.
Bingcang said the BCDA has received five proposals to update the master plan of Camp John Hay, which was crafted in the 1990s.
“So at that time, there were no SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) or ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) or sustainability goals.nSo we’re imputing or including this kind of development in the master plan of John Hay to make sure the environment is protected at all times,” he said.
He said investors that have expressed interest in the development of Camp John Hay include local, Korean and Japanese firms that are engaged in tourism-related development.
