Mayor asks BCDA for update on payment of city’s share from CJH operations
Mayor Benjamin Magalong has written Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) seeking for an update on the city government’s request for payment of its unpaid shares from the operation of the John Hay Special Economic Zone totaling P225,451,951.68.
In his letter dated June 18, 2025 addressed to BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Engr. Joshua Bingcang and JHMC President and CEO Manjit Singh Reandi, the mayor requested specifically for an update of the results of the review conducted by the BCDA of the city’s request and of any actions that the BCDA intends to take.
The mayor said this is considering that “considerable time has passed” and that the decision of the Supreme Court on the cases BCDA vs. the City Government and BCDA vs. the Camp John Hay Development Corporation “have now become final and executory.”
The mayor in June 3, 2024 wrote the BCDA serving the city’s intention to collect the unpaid obligation pursuant to City Council Resolution No. 362-1994 entitled “Setting the Conditionalities in the formulation by the (BCDA) of the Master Development Plan for Club John Hay.”
The BCDA replied that they were in the process of reviewing the details of the obligation and assured they will address it with diligence in line with the decision of the Supreme Court which then has not yet become final and executory.
In October 2024, the Supreme Court issued a ruling “denying with finality all motions of reconsideration filed by CJHDevCo and upholding its decision to allow the BCDA to recover the 247-hectare property in the JHSEZ.”
In a statement issued last December, the BCDA said the Supreme Court decision “affirms the 2015 arbitral award as well as reinstates the writ of execution and notice ordering CJHDevCo and all persons claiming rights under them to vacate the subject leased premises within Camp John Hay. The Decision in favor of BCDA has ‘become final and executory’ and has been ‘recorded in the Book of Entries of Judgments”.
The amount being collected comprises the unpaid share of the city from the gross income of operations within the JHSEZ amounting to P56,843,842.08 and share from the net income of all operations within the JHSEZ amounting to P168,608,109.60.
The city council last January passed a resolution asking the BCDA to immediately settle the obligation noting that there is no longer any legal impediment preventing the fulfillment of the BCDA’s obligations to the city pursuant to Resolution No. 362-1994. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
