BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan remains optimistic in meeting executives of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) in a bid to renegotiate Baguio's shares in the 247-hectare John Hay Special Economic Zone.
Domogan said the renegotiation with BCDA with give the city leverage in collecting its share from the special economic zone.
“We hope to talk with the new leaders of the BCDA so we could ask them the rental share of the city should be directly be paid to the local government,” said Domogan adding Baguio has been held hostage by the recent squabble of the government state owned agency and developer Camp John Hay Development Corp (CJHDevCo).
Domogan added while he welcomes further development inside the former US military camp, renegotiating the 50-year development contract will further give benefit to the local government and the people of the city in terms of creating more employment opportunities for qualified local residents and increase the income of Baguio.
It was learned only 25 percent of the identified area with Camp John hay was developed by CJHDevCo since the agreement was signed between the contracting parties in 1997.
With the new leadership at the BCDA, Domogan hopes the mess created by the previous leadership within Camp John Hay would soon be fixed to bring back a healthy and harmonious relationship between the government and the developers.
“The city is just a stake holder because the contracting parties are BCDA and CJHDevCo and it would be best for both parties to iron out things and discuss among them of possibly resuming the development of John Hay,” Domogan said.
Domogan added Resolution 362, series of 1994, which prescribed the 19 conditions imposed by the local government was part of the contract between the two parties, thus, the city should always be consulted whenever there are planned changes in the terms and conditions of the agreement. (Roderick Osis)