The right to choose

Today is the big day, as STV, Sunshine Television launches its Petron Xtra Unleaded 2007 Auto Focus Automobile/Motorcycle of the Year – People’s Choice Awards tonight at the Alabang Town Center at 7 p.m.

It is the automotive industry’s most prestigious four-month event that involves all of the country’s automobile manufacturers and distributors, and as it is an interactive selection process, the consumers’ voice will definitely be heard and dictate the outcome of this "people’s choice" search. The polls will start today, Feb. 17, as the project is launched tonight. So, expect the top honchos and associates of the automobile and motorcycle manufacturers & distributors to come for the big night – there are quite a few business concerns in the periphery that figure significantly in the automotive industry, and they will be there too.

The consumers were never given such a loud voice as now, with this people’s choice awards envisioned by organizers, STV, Sunshine Television. Where before, about the only feedback on how acceptable or how excellent last year’s model was in the hard figures of actual sales, those not in the position of buying brand new cars but who could give educated assessments of a car’s performance are given a voice by voting in their choices. This sector will have the very same people who would be in the market for these very same second hand cars in a few years, and you can be sure they will have educated choices. If it doesn’t matter now to some manufacturers who do not look farther than the year’s sales, think image-building, and the impact that having good resale values for certain models has on their overall company image as a reputable and credible manufacturer of reliable vehicles and motorcycles. And because there are several sub-categories, the motoring public can vote in their choices according to each category. This project has a poll system, which has never been adopted before in the automotive industry.

There will be a mini audio visual display of the latest models of cars and motorcycles at the Alabang Town Center (ATC) tonight, which will move on Feb. 22 to the SM Megamall and on to Libis in Eastwood in March, to The Block of SM North in April and finally at the Mall of Asia in May to complete its mall tour. The viewing public can vote ‘on site’ while viewing the display, or ‘online’ through the Internet via the Auto Focus website at www.autofocus.com.ph. The Grand Display and Test Drive will be on May 24 to May 27 at the World Trade Center where the organizers promise to give the motoring public not only a spectacular visual treat of all the newest models available in the market this year, the comprehensive automotive show will also have displays of fantastically dressed and fully accessorized multi-brand automobiles of different year models.

Although the launch-cocktails are scheduled at six o’clock, auto enthusiasts can enjoy the mini audio-visual exhibits as soon as ATC opens at around 10 o’clock in the morning. See you there.

More on Costly Medicines

An unimpeachable source in the medical profession informed me that our local pharmaceutical companies are spending quite a fortune on advertising and marketing, more than their counterpart multinational companies. This is especially true when a specific brand name’s patent is running out, and there are no longer any costly royalties to fork over. This gives the local companies more leeway in representation and marketing expenses.

Doctors have to go abroad to update them on the latest technology, newest drugs on the market, etc. These are necessary, and in fact mandatory, if our doctors want to keep abreast globally. Most of the pharmaceutical companies invite prominent names in the medical profession to these seminars and international conventions, and subsidize (sponsor) these trips for these doctors. Problem is, some doctors find these trips as their opportunity to go on a junket, and bring along their families to these expeditions. Because of the distraction that the family presents, the good doctor does not get the maximum benefits from these seminars. And because the family got to travel on an all-expense-paid junket, the doctor somehow finds himself in a situation where he becomes beholden to the pharma company. As a result, the pharma’s drugs, more expensive than the generic ones just as readily available and just as effective, get the necessary endorsement via the good doctor’s prescriptions. The family junket was, of course, charged to representation, padding the already bulging marketing and representation costs of these local pharmaceutical companies. Do you still wonder why our local drugs are much much more expensive than our Asean neighbors? Think again.

2 Days of Nostalgia

Our pre-valentine date was with Cliff Richard, while on Valentine’s Day itself; we had the great songwriters Dennis Lambert and Paul Williams. How’s that for a grand Valentine celebration?

It was indeed a rare treat to have these music greats over to our shores. Cliff’s singing voice has not changed all these years, which unfortunately is not true for some of the other singers in our time. The mellow, romantic timbre is there, unmistakably Cliff, the pop idol of our time. Perhaps it is because he has not rescued himself from the music scene, still going on extensive world tours where he is welcomed by excited throngs. We in the audience swayed to his familiar tunes and sighed to his romantic ballads.

Speaking of ballads, Paul Williams remarked last Feb. 14 during his concert at the same venue, Araneta Coliseum, that Filipinos, as a people, are really smitten by ballads, curiously more than other races. We are more romantic at heart, perhaps more than our other Asian neighbors, and we are right about there with our Latino counterparts who sing of fiery love songs and poignant ballads. We noticed that because we always applauded the softer tunes, and just sat back to enjoy the more catchy beats. Same thing with Dennis Lambert. Now that is one heck of a talented song writer. Unknown to many Filipinos, this guy had several hits locally, but it is also in the ballad section that he was most applauded.

One general observation that fellow baby boomers and music lovers shared with me, however, is this: some artists insist on mixing their repertoire with unfamiliar songs, or new hits which have not yet caught with the local fans. While this may be their way of promoting their newest albums, the fans who pay to hear their music want to hear the music of their younger days, their halcyon days when these very same guys were their singing idols. I’m sure their latest albums are good, but I, too, personally would like to hear the music that made me blush, that made me swoon or made me stomp my feet in rhythmic motion back then. Just an observation, but maybe the impresarios can pick up on this one. Or if they really want to intersperse the oldies with new hits, at least end the concert on a more familiar tune.

Anyway, we enjoyed Paul’s wit, and his music. The voice was still distinctively Paul Williams, but he had a certain rapport with the audience. His self-deprecating humor endeared him to the crowd, and when he broke into a familiar tune, the crowd roared in approval.

Hope to see more of these concerts in the near future. They are real treats for music lovers like me.

Mabuhay! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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