Estrada opens Camp John Hay golf clubhouse

CAMP JOHN HAY, Baguio City -- President Estrada claimed here over the weekend that the turnover of the former American military rest and recreation camp to the private sector has "removed from government the huge burden of subsidy and support" entailed in the generation of jobs and production of revenues.

The President was the guest of honor during the inauguration late Friday evening of the giant log-cabin clubhouse built by the Camp John Hay Development Corp., a subsidiary of the Fil-Estate Group which won the bidding to develop the camp and manage it for 25 years upon the default of the Manuela consortium which had initially won the well-attended public bidding at the Baguio Convention Center.

"Beyond the development of a world-class destination lies concrete benefits which define development -- employment for the people of Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan and Tuba; business opportunities for the community; social development programs that aim to upgrade skills and improve the economic situation of the barangays here, especially those within Camp John Hay," said the President who read a two-page speech for the occasion.

The simple inauguration of the clubhouse coincided with the President's trip here to address a conference of Luzon councilors at the Baguio Convention Center. It comes a month after the club's more luxurious "soft opening" late last month.

"My frustration in golf should not keep me away from visiting this clubhouse whenever I am in Baguio. The best thing that can be said about it is that this is an opportunity which is no longer just the exclusive privilege of the elite but can be shared by a great number of people to enjoy... I hope that this will only be the beginning of more world-class facilities that will be built here for Baguio residents and out-of-town visitors," Mr. Estrada said.

"We look forward to the day when it (Camp John Hay) services everyone -- including those who have made it a part of their childhood and those who are beginning to learn that sitting under a tail pine tree is a rare experience that can only happen in Camp John Hay," said the President.

"We also have to remember that in the development of Camp John Hay, we have made it known to everybody that we are also protecting the environment around Baguio. This is one area in the city that still abounds in pine trees, and we would like to preserve them as much as we can for our future generations," he added.