People’s choice

This weekend, the place to be is at the Fort when the country’s major automobile manufacturers and assemblers pitch tent to give the public the country’s biggest motoring event. It is a yearly event where the public can get to see virtually all the 2006 model cars available in the country. Not only can they get up close, they can even test drive the vehicles right at the site.

Yes, the event is the Petron Xtra 2006 Auto Focus Automobile & Motorcycle of the Year – People’s Choice Awards.

The event is not touted as the biggest motoring event in the country for nothing. The display of cars and motorcycles is nothing short of grand, and the venue is perfect for such an undertaking – spacious, airy and outdoors. The establishments around the venue (Central Gateway of the Fort) are added conveniences, as there is a wide selection of excellent restaurants, coffee shops, bars, etc., but for car and bike buffs, the display stands alone as the event’s stellar attraction. Imagine all the latest models in cars and bikes in one venue, and the manufacturers’ marketing staff to answer all your questions about the car/bike that catches your fancy.

The grand show opens on Saturday with a photo exhibit aptly titled Philippine Motor Sports – Legends & Heroes – presented by Michelin. A precious cache of photographs dating back to the 60’s was culled from several private collections, pictures that tell untold stories of how motor sports evolved in the country, from drag racing in the oval track of Sta. Ana, to the monumental efforts of putting the country in the global racing map through the Greenhills Grand Prix series. The photo exhibit chronicles the victories of motoring legends Dodjie Laurel, the first Filipino to conquer the prestigious Macau Grand Prix and the first to register back to back wins, to erstwhile race teammates Pocholo Ramirez, the country’s "living legend" and Dante Silverio. Poch is still active in the racing scene, being the moving spirit behind the Subic International Raceway. Dante, on the other hand, captivated the fans’ and injected glamour and glitz to Philippine racing.

I personally got a peek at these valuable photographs — the collections are a virtual anthology of motor sports in the Philippines. All the men and women who were part of Philippine racing have snatches of photographs depicting a variety of emotions, from the exhilaration of victory to the frustrations of defeat. There are action shots of men and machine, shots of cars badly smashed. And the personalities that peopled the motor sports scene were quite colorful.

There is a whole panel dedicated to Rallyes and how rallying evolved in the country. Remember the Shell Car Rally series back in the 60’s? The newspapers carried banner stories of these yearly events. Well, virtually all the rally heroes are depicted in the photos — the late Tony Mapa and Dodo Ayuyao, Gary Torres, Junoy Verano, Boy Fuentes, Guing Alcantara, Jun Espino, Vip Isada, Johnny Angeles, Gus Lagman, Cicero Legaspi, Dante and Poch, Ramy "El Bruto" Diez. Mandy Eduque. It’s a trip down memory lane.

As for racing, well, whole panels depict the racing greats: Dodjie Laurel who hails from the political Laurel family of Batangas and who conquered Macau not once but twice, in 1962 and 1963; Pocholo Ramirez who, despite his excellent driving skills never bagged the top trophy in any Grand Prix, continually dogged by an unlucky streak throughout his colorful career; and of course Dante Silverio who is remarkable in any endeavor he chooses simply because he works at excelling when he embarks on a project.

In the 70s, a favorite car was the Mini Cooper, and there was a whole gang of Mini lovers. They called themselves the San An Racing Team, and they were supposedly the younger set of racers – all Mini Cooper lovers. There was Edgar Laurena (a doctor by profession), Guing Alcantara, Marcy Estrella, Boy Ochoa, Rolly Abadilla (Yes, that’s the late Col. Rolly Abadilla), Boy Garcia, Freddie Masigan, Chokie Kimseng, etc. They ruled some of the classes too in those days and were pitted against the Corollas, the Colts, etc.

If you are into motor sports, you would remember ARAP (Automobile Racing Association of the Philippines) and the personalities that were active not only in the association but the regular races that the governing body held. The annual search for the ARAP Driver of the Year was often a much-contested endeavor. Well, the active drivers are all depicted in the photo panels – the late Arthur Tuazon, Louie Camus, the Ebrada brothers, Yu Beng Tek, Raffy Veneracion, Mike del Rosario, the de la Merced brothers (Narcing, Betong & Boy), the Guevarra brothers (Benjie & Boy), Butch Viola, Chito Monserrat, Joey Bundalian, Eddie Marcelo, and all the other racing heroes of ARAP. The organizers and officials who always served during the races, all for the love of the sport, are also honored here – Billy Martinez, Tony Wee, etc.

This photo exhibit is definitely a gem of an undertaking, and I hope everybody who figured in any way in forming the history of Philippine motor sports, big or small, will find time to appreciate the collage of photographs on display at the Fort today. The exhibit opens at 9 a.m. with Pocholo Ramirez, Dante Silverio and hopefully a representative of Dodjie’s family to cut the ceremonial ribbon, surely a reunion of sorts.

See you there.

Client pays for bank’s negligence?

A reader gave us an interesting feedback about this credit card company.

Being one of Citibank’s founding members, she prided herself in being a prompt payer, never even availed of minimum required payments and the records shall stand for it. Well, last December she advised the card company about her impending change of address. Apparently, the statement got derailed somehow, and she did not receive her statement on time. The credit card’s collection department called to remind the Client of her overdue account, and it was only then that the Client learned that her account was overdue. She promptly reminded them of her official advice earlier of her new mailing address, and Citibank, noting this, sent her the latest bill. Client paid immediately (the bill was quite hefty – P91,000 and is understandable that Citibank’s Credit & Collection would spend a lot of time following up the account.) But she also requested that all penalty charges be condoned as it was the bank who was remiss, not her. The bank agreed.

The bill was incurred in January 2006 and paid in full in February.

Imagine her chagrin when her February bill came and she had a bill of P3,500+ when she clearly remembers having no transaction whatsoever after the January bills were paid. Citibank said this bill represents the additional penalty charges because payment came after cut-off, no matter that there was an earlier arrangement to condone all penalty charges!

What is irritating about all these, she says, is that the bank’s credit and collection crew calls up her home and office everyday, two to three times a day, to collect the measly sum of P3,500. When she tried to explain the matter, she was told to dial the Bank’s Customer Hot Line which was so hot you couldn’t get through. Why do they call it the customers’ line, and how can it be a hot line when nobody can get through?

She further relates that it is not easy to relate to a disembodied phone pal – what happened to real people? Of course, the sheer volume of customers at Citibank would make it impossible to have a customer relations staff attending to all complaints, but try attempting to talk to one. All you get is another disembodied voice, if you can get through at all. And now she asks, "Shouldn’t I change banks?"

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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