Camp John Hay
Baguio City
Cemetery of Negativity
Camp John Hay covers an area of 690 acres and was built as a "rest and recreation" area for US army personnel.
It was in Camp John Hay that World War II began and ended in the Philippines: it was here in December 1942 that the first Japanese bomb was dropped, and it was here that General Yamashita signed the Japanese surrender on September 3, 1945.
In 1991 Camp John Hay was handed over to the Philippines government. It was officially renamed Club John Hay, and for the first time in its history it was opened to the public along with its golf course, tennis courts, swimming pools, and restaurants.
The main entrance of Camp John Hay, with some of Baguio's famous pinetrees
Camp John Hay has a quaint Cemetery of Negativity (also known as The Lost Cemetery) that is really worth a visit. The Cemetery of Negativity is not a normal cemetery. Built by the Americans in the early 20th century, it is a small picket-fenced enclosure with rows of inscribed headstones under which "negative habits and thoughts" (not people) are buried. A sample inscription:
A truly miserable day.
Born in gloom.
Lived without bloom.
Buried in this tomb.
Since 1997 Camp John Hay has been closed to the public, and has been undergoing upmarket redevelopment for a country club, hotel, restaurants, and condominiums. This new incarnation of Camp John Hay will be known as Club John Hay.