With the whole of Camp John Hay now back to the government and the Filipino people, legacy estates inside the 625-hectare economic zone, including The John Hay Hotels (formerly The Manor and Forest Lodge) and John Hay Golf, can now be enjoyed by the public with even better facilities and services to elevate their experiences.
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), together with interim managers Landco Pacific Corp. for the hotels and the consortium of Golfplus Management Inc. (GMI) and DuckWorld Philippines for the golf course, set in motion plans to further improve Camp John Hay and make it more accessible to the public.
“We want to emphasize that Camp John Hay is not only back to the government’s possession. It is now back to the Filipino people. With this, we want to ensure that all Filipinos can now enjoy the world-class leisure destinations within the camp, and we will do that while maintaining and improving the facilities and services,” BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang said.
Best public golf course in the Philippines
Enveloped by rustic pine trees, lush greeneries, and the cool mountain breeze of Baguio City, John Hay Golf features challenging terrains and fairways designed by world-renowned golfer Jack Nicklaus—elements that helped position this course as a favorite among local and foreign golfers.
And under the BCDA’s management, the golf course, which previously served as a private playground for select golfers, is now open to the public, making it accessible to more Filipinos who want to try the sport or simply enjoy the amenities.
Even as the golf course becomes public, BCDA and GMI-DuckWorldPH assure that the quality of the golf course and its facilities will remain in tip-top shape, with improvements and rehabilitation works already underway.
“The objective is to make it the best golf course in the Philippines and keep it accessible to the public,” Engr. Bingcang said.
GMI President Eduardo Arguelles, bringing his expertise in managing other premier golf estates in the country like Nuvali and Alviera, also commits to maintain and upgrade the golf course.
“That’s the objective that we are after—everything should be the best. Not only the golf course, but eventually we will also improve the facilities like the club house, because that’s part of the whole experience,” he said.
The consortium will also assess the condition of the golf course during the interim period and recommend long-term improvements to the facilities. Among these is the rehabilitation of the irrigation system, which is crucial in the maintenance of the golf course.
These recommendations will be implemented by the long-term operations and maintenance (O&M) partner to be tapped by the BCDA. Engr. Bingcang said the BCDA targets to bid out the O&M project within the year, once it has studied the best model for golf operations.
Exceptional services, world-class stay at John Hay hotels
With the grand mission of raising Camp John Hay’s tourism landscape, MVP Group’s real estate and hospitality arm Landco Pacific readily extended its hand to the BCDA for the seamless transition of management and uninterrupted provision of services at The John Hay Hotels (formerly The Manor and Forest Lodge).
“Even during a challenging period of transition, the BCDA and Landco Pacific made sure that tourists and hotel visitors were not affected. The hotels remained open, and services did not cease even a single minute,” said Landco Lifestyle Ventures Head Patrick Gregorio.
Gregorio said this was possible due to the careful planning of the government and private sector, backed by the cooperation and professionalism of the hotel employees who did not want to sacrifice the stay of the tourists.
As the interim manager of the hotels, Landco has committed to take care of the employees and introduce improvements to the facilities, making sure that services and hotel amenities remain befitting of a premier hotel.
“We are here to help preserve the charm Camp John Hay and strengthen Baguio’s tourism industry. And in turn, we are also helping transform local communities, and spur economic opportunities so that progress is felt by all,” Gregorio said.
