BAGUIO CITY – The John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC), a subsidiary of the State-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), was able to collect a total of P67.8 million from its various locators which was in turn remitted to the coffers of the government last year to boost the income derived from the operation of special economic zones and former American military bases in the country.
Dr. Jamie Eloise M. Agbayani, JHMC president, said the collected amount represents to the estate management fee collected by BCDA from existing locators of the special economic zone, specifically the 247-hectare John Hay Special Economic Zone (JHSEZ), and other leased portions of the former John Hay air station.
She disclosed last year’s revenue from collections of lease rentals, ticket sales and venue rentals at the historical core, the regulatory fees in the JHSEZ, and the Scout Barrio Housing Project increased by 9 percent equivalent to P37.65 million from the P34.65 million generated income in the area in 2013.
Agbayani explained bulk of the P37.65 million revenue generated last year came from lease rentals from the JHSEZ and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) amounting to P28.99 million; the historical core was able to raise P2.93 million from ticket sales, events and venue rentals and the special economic zone administration (SEZAD) collected regulatory fees amounting to P1.71 million.
Furthermore, she cited the JHMC building official and the environment and project management divisions generated a revenue of P380,990.15 and P3.13 million from the Scout Barrio Housing Project collections which was a an agreement with the BCDA pursuant to the amended performance pact.
The JHMC official revealed the SEZAD was designated as the coordinating office for all programs of the integrity initiative in Northern Luzon and that all the 117 JHSEZ locators were able to comply with the requirements prior to the issuance of their respective permits to operate by the one stop action center.
She explained the JHMC adopted the integrity initiative jointly with the JHSEZ locators, and signed the ‘integrity pledge’ over two years now.
The aforesaid project is a joint public-private sector campaign towards the re-establishment of integrity standards in doing business in the country, with the Makati Business Club included among the lead proponents.
Agbayani claimed last year’s collections posted a higher revenue compared to their 2013 collection which illustrates that doing business inside the zone is still lucrative.
However, she pointed out that their building office and environment and project management division reported a decrease in their revenue by about P160,000 due to the stricter regulations of building new structures in the zone as a consequence of the legal case against the private developer of the former American rest and recreation center.
Currently, Agbayani added fees collected on BCDA-managed areas imposes varied rates among its locators but measures are being undertaken to make the rates uniform in all areas that the local corporation manages, including the leased areas being operated by the private developers pending the resolution of the long standing case. By Dexter A. See
