NEWSFLASH

P4-B CAMP JOHN HAY MANOR OPENS IN MARCH

Baguio City, July 21, 2000 The Philippines’ summer capital will have another attraction next year. Construction of the John Hay Manor, a 187-unit hotel facility, is ongoing and shall be operational by March 2001. Facilities completed to date include the golf course, golf clubhouse and country homes.

Three years after starting the project, the CJH Development Corporation (CJH DevCo) has invested around P2 billion in the Camp John Hay development project.

"We have already invested more P2 billion, even as we are only halfway through the project," said Frederico S. Alquiros, chief operating officer of CJH DevCo.

CJH DevCo has recently broken ground for the convention hotel and another 287-unit hotel facility. It has also laid out its plans for its commercial complex and ecotourism center.

"If we consider our local purchases and the number of employees we have hired, I think we are making a significant contribution to our local economy," Alquiros said.

The average monthly purchase made by CJH DevCo in Baguio alone amounts to P6 million. Camp John Hay is also one of the biggest employers in Baguio, with more than a thousand employees hired since the start of the development project. More employees are expected to be hired when all facilities are in place.

The investment also includes P5 million for the Environmental Management Program that involves improving the Benguet pine stands and forests to ensure that Camp John Hay's main asset, the trees, remain healthy.

The EMP also includes a solid waste management plant with a composting facility which will provide Benguet farmers with compost and organic fertilizers as an alternative to chemical inputs. Also in the works is a materials recovery center where waste is segregated and recycled through livelihood programs for the 14 barangays.

A Skills Upgrading activity in Coordination with TESDA to prepare the barangays’ residents for jobs in the CJH Manor, is offering training for various jobs pertinent to hotel operations. Medical missions, Jobs Fair and more training programs are lined up for the year. The vision for the community is that they are eventually empowered with tools that make them self-sufficient.

"It would be a legacy if we can even provide the technology to the community for them to supply all facilities in CJH with eco-friendly products such as organic vegetables, herbal medicine, organic soap, and other items," Alquiros added.