CJHDevCo: Pleased and Happy with the Decision of the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc.(PDRCI) #OnlineBizniz

Now that the legal case of Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) and Camp John Hay Development Corp. (CJHDevco) are starting to surface with much to be desired by the people of Baguio City. It’s the dream of this tourist place to have development inside the Camp John Hay. That robust employment offers much to the citizens of Baguio City. Even the government of the city was desperately helping both sides to put forward the development.

The stakeholders of businesses inside the camp are willing to accept the BCDA new management. Coordination from both parties must be practiced properly for honest implementation. The on-going constructing of buildings is to be considered for future involvement of the government.

The BCDA claims the Camp John Hay for the purpose of developing to the fullest and maintaining the camp to prosper in terms of giving positive operations which could result to gain more revenues. It’s the job of the BCDA team to initiate good relations with the business owners.

Another point that BCDA will maintain is the conservation of trees inside the camp. It’s being added by CJHDevCo to prolong the life of the trees in building the best ecosystem of Baguio. It gives the very core element in the city preservation program.

But the arbitration decision calls for by the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc., (PDRCI) that BCDA will pay the CJHDevCo an amount of 1.42B before claiming the camp. Likewise, they will pursue the 4.3B for the arrears by CJHDevCo which was gaining while the case’s still going on.

The fact remains that CJHDevCo will not vacate the camp unless BCDA would pay the amount ordered by PDRCI. Moreover, both parties must wait for the final order from the court and cannot take action until such time of proper endorsement.

Meanwhile Bob Sobrepena said, “We are pleased and happy with the decision of the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc.. We feel vindicated by the Arbitration Tribunal in upholding our position that CJHDevelopment Corporation does not owe any P3.3 billion back rentals to the .Bases Conversion and Development Authority. Instead, it was the finding of the Tribunal that it is BCDA which now owes us, CJHDEVCO, P1.42 billion as reimbursement for all our rental payments since 1996. We are happy with the decision and we are awaiting our lawyers’ advice on its implementation. It has always been our position that the trees in Camp John Hay are the Camp’s most treasured assets. The pine trees are set John Hay unique among other destinations. The presence of these trees posed the greatest challenge to our development plans as we believed these trees should not be cut. As a result, in our resolve to not cut the trees, our development footprint had been substantially reduced and so we had prayed to the Arbitral Panel that the lease contract with BCDA be reformed to reflect a reduced developable footprint and if this were not possible, then a rescission of the lease contract with damages paid to us, instead. The Arbitral Panel has granted our prayer in the latter respect. It ordered the rescission of the lease contract and BCDA to pay us P1.42 billion as reimbursement of our lease payments. We hope when we turn-over the Camp to BCDA after the Pl.42billion award is paid to us, BCDA will take care of the 480,000trees we will leave behind. When we took over the Camp in 1996, there were 250,000 trees in the Camp. During our stewardship of the Camp, we planted 230,000 more trees. Thus, we eventually turnover Camp John Hay to BCDA, the temp would be in perfect environmental condition. We hope that BCDA will continue CJHDEVCO’s vision for Camp John Hay to be the leading eco-tourism destination in North Luzon and continue with the development of the Camp with the protection of the trees and the environment in mind. We assure our buyers, locators and sub-lessees that their rights to the properties they acquired and are now using in John Hay will continue to be protected and respected.

The CJHDevCo Chairman speaks for their acceptance of the resolution and reaching out for Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) to conform at the decision until the final implementation. As such, I respect Bob Sobrepena’s action about the trees inside the camp. This is a positive response in preserving pine trees all over the camp.