BIZ BUZZ: Alabang Club fee hike deemed inevitable
Some members of Alabang Country Club Inc. earlier expressed their stiff opposition to the 40-percent hike in the monthly dues from P5,000 to P7,000 effective this month.
But according to the management and directors, such an increase is more than justified.
For one thing, this is the first increase since 2019, when the monthly dues were hiked from P3,500 to P5,000. And even at P7,000 a month, the dues are still much lower than the P12,800 a month for Sta. Elena, P12,300 for Wack-Wack, P12,000 for Manila Golf and at par with Manila Polo Club.
They also said in the information sheet sent to the members that the increase was needed to undertake major repairs and rehabilitation, maintenance and upgrade of the 46-year-old club, and to continue the long-held practice of not charging the members and their dependents for the use of the club facilities.
There was a time when the revenues were propped up by the transfer and processing fees from the sale and assignment of club shares. But then this revenue stream had been declining over the past years and projected to drop by another 20 percent this year, mainly because there are hardly any sellers of shares.
Bottom line is that the fee hike is seen needed to bankroll major projects and keep it going at a high standard for the benefit of the members.
Will these points be enough to satisfy disgruntled members? Abangan!
