By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas

The other day, the John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) people along with officers of the business club there held a press conference. Here are the points I raised (the Panagbenga thing is an afterthought). I repeat them here.
What practically opened Baguio or the Cordillera to the rest of the world was the building of Kennon Road. The Halsema Highway then ensued.
Kennon Road was just built in four years. While we can see potholes along our roads which remain as such for even more than four years.
If Camp John Hay is celebrating its 115th year, then it was built right away after Kennon Road was opened, or in 1904. How efficient.
Were anybody now to propose any project as ambitious as a Camp John Hay or Kennon Road, it will go through a lot of talk but no walk. There will be congressional or senate investigations, a lot of sparring or quarreling will happen because of conflicting vested interest. In short, a lot of saliva will be wasted and in the end nothing will happen.
It might take us 400 years to build anything as gargantuan or critical as Kennon Road or a Camp John Hay for that matter. If we ever could.
The point is, Camp John Hay when it was being run by the Americans should offer us a lot of lessons for a better country. Back then, when we drove into the area, we followed traffic rules. But when we got out, we were back into our stupid ways of having no regard to rules or even simple traffic courtesy.
Their residential buildings then in the camp were relatively small but there were a lot of greeneries. That is in stark contrast to our attitude of building our homes up to the boundary of whatever lot we have. No vacant spaces for trees or other greeneries to show that we are mindful of the environment.
While we might admit that the JHMC might be doing its best to be an efficient manager of the camp, we are very sure that they have to contend with a lot of political meddling which often would result not in sound management decisions but in consideration of political pressures.
It would not be surprising if John Hay will soon end up like a typical park over burdened by so called too much development.
Yet it was good to hear about the projects of the camp’s officials and the John Hay Business Club like the activities for the screening or detection of breast cancer and prostate cancer. Doctor specialists will be there to help out.
A marathon race is also scheduled.
I commented that more activities could have been added like a fair for organic farm produce. Such should be complementary to avoiding or treating cancer.
Lest we forget, it was the JHMC and CJHDevCo (which were interchangeable during that time as I think they even had interlocking directors) right after the camp was turned over to the Philippine government,, that started and established as an institution the Pangbenga Flower Festival. It is now a major tourist drawer and so many businesses are profiting from it.
Now that the Panagbenga is being run by a private foundation with the city government, it is high time for JHMC to start again something that will become an institution. What, for instance? I don’t know. But it should be something from which the general public will benefit.**