Camp John Hay

Camp John Hay


Project
Developer	Camp John Hay Development Corp.
Owner	Bases Conversion and Development Authority
Website	campjohnhay.com
Physical features
Major buildings	Bell House, Bell Amphitheater, Manor Hotel, Forest Lodge
Public spaces	History Trail, Secret Garden, Cemetery of Negativism
Location


Coordinates: 16.398912°N 120.609463°E / 16.398912; 120.609463
Location	Baguio, Philippines

History

Summarize

Perspective

Under United States management

The United States 48th Infantry Unit under Captain Robert Rudd established Hill Station in the current site of Camp John Hay in 1900 during the Philippine-American war. The site is referred to the locals, the Ibalois, as "Kafagway" and is owned by Ibaloi leader Mateo Cariño. 213 hectares (530 acres) of the land was then designated as "Camp John Hay", a military reservation for American soldiers, in October 1903 when US President Theodore Roosevelt signed a presidential order. American military personnel were given a place to refuge from the relative hotter temperature of the lowlands.^[1]

World War II

In December 1941, Japanese warplanes dropped 72 bombs over the main gate of the camp during the onset of World War II in the Philippines. Camp John Hay served as an internment camp of the Imperial Japanese forces as well as the headquarters of General Tomoyuki Yamashita during the Japanese occupation period. When the Japanese forces in the archipelago capitulated, Yamashita surrendered to the Allied forces at Camp John Hay, specifically at the High Commissioner's residence which was later renamed as the Ambassador's Residence.^[1]

Post war and independence

After the war, Camp John Hay was converted into John Hay Air Base in 1955 and remained under the control of the Americans.^[1]

On December 13, 1966 a fourth of Camp John Hay was given to the Philippine government and was made a forest reserve and watershed. The nominal air base has no airstrip and has a golf course. It served as a recreational venue for both Americans and Filipino politicians and businessmen.^[2]

Under the Philippine government and redevelopment

It was officially turned over the Philippine government in July 1, 1991 with Tourism Secretary Rafael Alunan III in attendance. The plan was to convert Camp John Hay into a resort.^[3]^[4] In 1995, the Baguio City Council endorsed a potential commercialization of Camp John Hay setting conditions for its support of a master plan for the former American installation.^[5]

In 1996, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority entered into a deal with Camp John Hay Development Corp. (CJHDevco) of Robert Sobrepeña to convert the Camp John Hay into a commercial development.^[6] Among the first additions was the 187-unit, four-storey Manor Hotel which had a soft opening on December 1, 2001.^[7]

In 2015, the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center nullified the 1996 lease between BCDA and CJHDevCo due to mutual breaches and ordered the latter to return control of the complex and its facilities to the BCDA. Following protracted appeals, the decision was upheld by the Supreme Court in April 2024, with the BCDA reassuming the property in January 2025.^[8]

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Features

Historic buildings and structures

The Bell House, a historic structure named after Major General Franklin Bell is situated at the camp's Historical Core. Besides the house is the Bell Amphitheater which was designed by Bell himself.^[9]

Gardens

Camp John Hay's history is featured through markers installed at the History Trail and Secret Garden.^[9] The Cemetery of Negativism nearby or the Lost Cemetery is a small area within Camp John Hay. The "cemetery" was established by then-commanding general of the John Hay Air Station, John Hightower in the early 1980s.^[10] It serves a symbolic burial site for negativism. The Amphiteather near Bell House also hosts a gazebo which is encircled by a multi-terraced flower garden.^[9]

Golf course

The Camp John Hay Golf Club is situated within the area. In January 2025, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority took over the course.^[11]^[12]

Others

Manor Hotel and Forest Lodge are the two hotels operated by the management of Camp John Hay and are situated within the area.^[9] The Manor Hotel is a four-star hotel as per the Department of Tourism's National Accommodation Standards as of December 2024.^[13]