BAGUIO CITY – The John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) ordered the temporary closure of its various eco-trails effective last Thursday to allow the conduct of a comprehensive investigation and assessment on the unauthorized modifications that were discovered within the said trails.
In an unsigned advisory that was posted in JHMC’s social media page, the corporation stated that there is also a need to find ways on how to restore the damaged areas within the eco-trails, thus, the cooperation of the public is essential in preserving the natural beauty of the said frequently visited tails.
The JHMC claimed that during a recent inspection by Camp John Hay (CJH) patrol guards, it was discovered that the entire red trail and a portion of the blue trail had been allegedly transformed into makeshift race tracks, particularly of bicycles and probably motorcycles.
Further, colored ribbons were reportedly attached to tree branches and trunks using gun tackers and thumbtacks that caused damages to the trees in the said areas.
The JHMC disclosed that excavations were found in various humps and turns along the tracks that were developed along the said trails.
“These modifications were made without permission of the JHMC and are considered unauthorized,” the advisory stressed.
JHMC’s decision to close the yellow, blue, red and Eco trail received mixed reactions from the citizens where some of the reactors blatantly blamed the unscrupulous and irresponsible bikers as the culprits in the creation of the discovered track along the red and blue trails.
However, some members of the local biking community raised doubts on how were the tracks established along portions of some of the trails when there are patrol guards that are conducting routine inspections along the trails regularly that is why it would be impossible for some individuals to be able to work on the tracks in a certain period of time.
Some of the bikers also pointed out that they always bring with them light baggage and do not carry materials that will contribute in the establishment of the tracks, thus, it would be impossible for them to be the ones that have created the discovered unauthorized tracks within the various eco-trails.
Residents and visitors who love to trek the different CJH eco-trails expressed their disappointment over the untimely closure of the trails and the destruction that was caused to the same, thus, an in-depth investigation must be done to ascertain the individuals and groups responsible for the creation of the tracks, inflicting damages to the trees and excavating portions of the trails and impose the appropriate penalties on them to serve as a lesson for others not to emulate in the future.
JHMC is a subsidiary of the State-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) that is tasked to oversee the administration, management and operation of Camp John Hay, the former American military base that is situated in the city. The BCDA was created to administer, manage and operate all former American military bases that were turned over to the Philippine government after the Senate rejected the proposed renewal of the stay of the American military bases in the country in 1991. By Dexter A. See
