BCDA signs lease deal for new café in Camp John Hay

STATE-RUN Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has signed a 15-year lease deal with Sophia Real Estate Executives and Development Corp. to build a themed café within Camp John Hay (CJH) in Baguio City.

The café will rise on a 500-square-meter site within CJH, the agency said in a statement on Thursday.

The lease agreement was signed on March 30, but the BCDA has yet to provide further details on the development.

The upcoming café is expected to boost local economic activity while creating jobs in the construction and hospitality sectors, the agency said.

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang said the deal aligns with the CJH’s Master Development Plan (MDP), which seeks to transform the former US military base into an eco-tourism, leisure, and economic hub.

“By aligning with our MDP, this project brings a fresh dimension to the camp, further establishing it as a world-class tourism hub where nature and leisure meet,” he said.

The development is expected to diversify the John Hay Special Economic Zone’s portfolio of commercial and hospitality establishments, the agency added.

The BCDA formally took control of CJH in January last year.

It aims to hit P10 billion worth of investments from the takeover and is looking to offer 70 hectares of land for private sector development. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz