MANILA, Philippines — The National Development Company (NDC) has defended its decision to designate Trade Secretary Cristina Roque as its corporate nominee for access to the exclusive Manila Golf and Country Club, saying the arrangement is intended to support the performance of official duties and business engagements.
In a statement to InsiderPH on Wednesday, Sept. 2, NDC said the designation could provide Roque with a venue to meet business leaders, investors and other stakeholders whose engagements may advance the agency’s mandate.
“The designation facilitates the performance of official functions and may provide a venue for meetings and engagements with business leaders, investors, and other stakeholders,” NDC said.
Why Roque has access
Roque, who heads the Department of Trade and Industry, also serves as chairperson of NDC. The government-owned corporation said its Manila Golf share has been in its possession since 1994, when it was acquired through a corporate transaction.
NDC said assigning the club membership to its chairperson is not a new practice and that previous DTI secretaries had also served as the corporation’s designated nominee.
The agency emphasized that the share and membership remain property of NDC, regardless of which official is designated to use them.
NDC also said use of the membership remains subject to applicable government regulations, its internal policies and Commission on Audit (COA) requirements.
The issue is not new
The controversy comes after reports that some Manila Golf members were considering opposing Roque’s nomination.
Earlier Wednesday, InsiderPH reported that Roque’s designation had drawn attention because Cabinet officials rarely become members of the exclusive Makati club through a government-owned corporate share.
The report said Manila Golf shares have commanded extremely high values in the private market, adding another layer of public interest to the arrangement.
But the existence of NDC’s Manila Golf holding itself is not in dispute.
NDC’s audited financial statements for 2024 list its investment in Manila Golf and Country Club at P120 million, compared with P115 million in 2023. The same disclosures also list holdings in Makati Sports Club and the Philippine Columbian Association.
COA had raised questions before
Records show that government auditors have previously scrutinized NDC’s ownership and maintenance of private club memberships.
In its 2019 annual report, NDC disclosed that it owned membership shares in Manila Golf and Country Club and Makati Sports Club. The report also noted an earlier audit observation concerning club membership expenses.
NDC had argued that the memberships could provide business value because transactions involving trade agreements or investments are not necessarily completed inside traditional boardrooms and that the corporation could benefit from club facilities.
COA, however, had questioned the continued maintenance of inactive club shares, saying the associated costs were unnecessary where the shares were not generating a discernible benefit to NDC.
That history is important because the current controversy is not simply about whether NDC owns a Manila Golf share. It also raises the broader question of how government-owned corporate assets and memberships should be used by sitting officials.
What NDC is saying now
NDC’s current position is that Roque’s designation is connected to her institutional role rather than a personal acquisition of a private club membership.
The corporation said the arrangement is an established practice and that its chairperson—who is also the sitting DTI secretary—serves as the designated nominee.
NDC likewise stressed that the membership does not become Roque’s personal property simply because she is the designated user.
The distinction could become important if questions arise about membership costs, personal benefits, official meetings or compliance with government auditing and ethics rules.
Why this matters
NDC is the government’s investment arm and operates under the Department of Trade and Industry. Its mandate includes making strategic investments intended to contribute to economic development and public welfare.
That means the central issue is likely to be less about golf itself and more about whether the use of a government-owned club membership can be demonstrably connected to legitimate official functions and whether the arrangement complies with applicable government rules.
For now, NDC maintains that Roque’s designation serves an institutional purpose and remains subject to government policies and COA requirements.
The bigger question is whether the public will view access to one of the country’s most exclusive clubs as a legitimate tool for government-business engagement—or as a government benefit that requires closer scrutiny.
This story may not end with the golf membership. The real test could be what records show about how the government-owned share is being used.
WWC ONE MEDIA MJE
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