Camp John Hay cable car plans gain ground
Like Sapa in Vietnam or Ngong Ping in Hong Kong, the Philippines’ very own Camp John Hay in Baguio City may soon be accessible by cable car, too.
And not just any ordinary cable car, as the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the estate’s manager, is exploring a self-driving ropeway through a potential joint venture with a Japanese urban transportation company.
Those plans, first announced in 2024, gained further traction during a recent BCDA visit to Japan, where the state-run corporation signed another agreement with Fukushima-based Zip Infrastructure Co. Ltd.
Building on an earlier agreement to conduct feasibility studies, the two parties are now exploring potential financing structures and a joint-venture arrangement for the planned “Zippar” ropeway in Baguio.
The BCDA said the latest agreement also covers plans to build a pilot line. The two parties had initially targeted 2027 for the construction of the cable car system.
“The [memorandum of cooperation] will guide further cooperation on the proposed project, including feasibility studies, technical requirements, investment and financing arrangements and the potential structure of a future joint venture,” the BCDA said.
Zip claims that its self-driving cable car system can carry half the transport capacity of a conventional monorail at one-fifth the cost and construction time. Being electric and autonomous, the system is also designed to reduce carbon emissions and operating costs.
It remains unclear whether the cable car will eventually be woven into the broader makeover of Camp John Hay.
The BCDA is currently looking for a consultant to prepare the detailed engineering design for an overhaul of the estate’s road and utility networks, covering roads and sidewalks, drainage and slope protection systems, streetlights, access ramps and driveways as well as road signs and pavement markings.
During the visit to Japan, the BCDA also pitched projects across its other estates, particularly those within the Luzon Economic Corridor.
More than 200 Japanese investors and business executives attended the investment forum, according to the BCDA.
