Move on to restore BSP camp in Lahug

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has committed full support to the rehabilitation of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) Capitol Hills Scout Camp in Barangay Lahug here, as he aims to bid to host future international jamborees.

This plan gained traction after Archival’s recent meeting in Manila with Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon, who also serves as BSP secretary-general.

Archival, himself a BSP regional director, said the encounter was productive in securing national government support.

“When I visited the Capitol Hills area, I saw the buildings were really damaged. I told them we need to find a way. The city may give a certain amount, but we will need to have a budget. I expressed this concern, and they immediately called the Budget secretary,” Archival recalled.

De Leon then told Archival to go visit him in Manila and which he did last week.

“He said, ‘Why don’t you visit us in Manila?’ So I prepared a proposal. We need to fence the property, build the Jamboree Hall, and restore the swimming pool. When we met, he said, ‘Yes, we will do this. You make the plan.’”

Archival then met with BSP officials led by Dr. Marvin Nicer of the BSP Eastern Visayas Region and Cebu Council Chairman Noel Alicaya alongside Department of Public Works and Highways Region-7 representatives yesterday.

DPWH engineers presented findings from their ocular inspection of the 20-hectare site, confirming the urgent need for rehabilitation.

Archival estimates the redevelopment will require ?400 to ?500 million, with the bulk expected from national government support.

He said the project is not only about restoring facilities but also about creating opportunities for Cebu to host global scouting events.

“This is sustainable because if the facilities are used, the income goes back to the Boy Scouts. There will be a return of investment. The area will be alive again. Many scouting chapters will come to our city. In fact, we want to bid for the international jamboree. That is what we are looking at,” Archival said.

A jamboree is a large gathering of scouts featuring camping, training, cultural exchange, and fellowship.

Hosting such an event would place Cebu City on the global scouting map, attracting thousands of youth participants and visitors.

The BSP, established in 1936 through Commonwealth Act No. 111, is affiliated with the World Organization of the Scouting movement and has produced generations of leaders through programs in community service, disaster preparedness, and outdoor education.

Archival stressed the urgency of securing the Capitol Hills property, which has been unused for years and encroached upon by settlers.

“If we don’t fence it, people will continue to enter, cut trees, and build houses. We must give this property the attention it deserves. This is the home of the Boy Scouts in Cebu,” he said.

With coordination among BSP, DBM, DPWH, and the Cebu City Government, Archival expressed confidence the project could be completed within two years, in time to position Cebu as a candidate to host an international jamboree.

“Hopefully, before the end of the secretary’s term, this will be finished. In two to three years, we can bid. That is our vision,” he added. — /BRP (FREEMAN)