Damn if you do, damn if you don’t? Then just do it!

In a recent television appearance, the feisty MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando coolly defended his present policies of making the metro a better place to be in and wittily parried flak thrown his way regarding their implementation.

We share the chairman’s willful stand to clear the metro’s sidewalks – an important factor in effecting a smoother flow of traffic in many areas of the metropolis. However we reserve some apprehensions with regard to the manner of implementing existing laws and ordinances regarding illegal sidewalk vendors. In particular, the spraying of kerosene to food items being sold making them utterly useless, as consuming them after would be a definite health risk.

As illegal vending is a crime, would it mean that the goods being sold illegally are part of the crime and therefore can be confiscated?

If this is so, then a parallel program can be put in place where food items confiscated during sidewalk-clearing operations can be distributed to street children and to the poor. This, instead of rendering these food items inconsumable.

Whatever, we urge the MMDA leadership to relentlessly pursue the implementation of the laws and ordinances of the metropolis. The local mayors should welcome this, as they can now just point to the fearless former Marikina mayor as the uncompromising culprit, lessening the potential loss of votes for the local executives from those affected by the strict implementation of the law.

In the case of MMDA chairman Fernando, if your sights are set on non-parochial political positions, putting Metro Manila in order can produce a lot of additional "pogi points" for you. Add these to your past performance records, they can be translated into millions of votes from all over the country.

The "no nonsense" MMDA chairman is in a "damn if you do, damn if you don’t" position, which he can turn to the tremendous advantage of the metro dwellers and to himself. That is, if he can play his cards well.

The cute sports ute

Suzuki recently unveiled what it claims to be the only true-blue "compact" SUV. The "Jimny" is a two-door, four-seater powered by a 1.3 liter engine. It features ladder-type full frame chassis and a "shift-on-the-fly" 4-wheel drive system.

The Jimny comes with either 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic in two trim models – the JX and the JLX, which features power windows, central door locking and push button side view mirrors.

Prices for this new market entry range from P548,000.00 for the JX manual, P598,000.00 for the JLX manual and P640,000.00 for the JLX automatic.

Word reached us that Suzuki marketing executive Mr. Romeo "Jak" Jakosalem was very confident about the local market’s acceptance of this new offering from Suzuki during its successful launch, which I unfortunately failed to attend. Obviously, one of this "cute sports Ute’s" unique advantages in its class is its ability to squeeze in and out of traffic and in tight parking spaces in the metropolis due to its very manageable size.

Our congratulations to Suzuki!

Fit for new and old cars

The grand ballroom of the Hotel Intercon was the Friday evening (August 9) launch site of the latest formulation of what’s vaunted to be the most famous engine oil in the world – Castrol GTX.

The new specially reformulated lubricant is reported to be reinforced with Synthetic Guard, an additive that provides continuous protection for all kinds of car engines.

The recent launch of the Castrol GTX saw top Castrol regional and local executives, Mike Miller, Area Director for Southeast Asia Lubricants — Asia Pacific Business Unit, Engel del Callar, Passenger Car Oil Product Manager — Asia Pacific, Mandy Agregado, sales and Marketing manager and British Petroleum country manager and Paul Salapantan, Castrol’s 4-wheel marketing manager.

Have good projects, Ford will fund

If you have a project in mind, or even if it’s on going, that is dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the environment, culture and heritage that’s unique to the region, which may need funds to see it through, the Ford Motor Company Conservation and Environmental Grants may just provide you your long sought-after solution.

This was announced by Ms. Maricar Parco, Ford Group Philippines avp for marketing and communications during their most recent "media day" hosted by our good friend Willy Tee Ten’s Ford Makati, located along Pasong Tamo Extension, last Thursday, August 15.

The Ford Motor Company Conservation and Environmental Grants, which was first launched in the year 2000, has to-date supported about 100 projects in the Asean countries. The program is designed to empower individuals or small no-profit groups to maintain and develop projects that help conserve non-renewable resources and preserve valuable aspects of cultural heritage within local communities.

For those who may have the need, all you do is drop by any of the Ford dealerships located all over the country for a simple and easy to fill up application form.

In the same forum, Mr. Dave Macasadia, Ford’s vice president for sales & marketing made a casual report about the satisfactory performance of the Ford models in the local market. Dave underscored though the better performance of their exports that have been steadily increasing, substantially contributing to the country’s export dollar earnings.

The "media day", projected monthly and to be hosted by the different Ford dealerships in Metro Manila (Why not include the provincial dealerships, it can be a good "junket", oops, I mean break for everyone?) saw quite a number of motoring journalists present with the local "motoring mafia" almost in complete attendance.

Formula One update

Mika Hakkinen, also known as the "Flying Finn" formally announced his retirement from Formula 1 Racing last week. Mika will always be remembered as one of the nicest guys ever to step behind the wheel. He was well liked by his co-drivers and the fans as well. No less than the legendary Ayrton Senna listed Mika as one of his favorite drivers. The Flying Finn’s fabled rivalry with Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher has been the topic of many a conversation of F1 fans in the past several years. A lot of F1 experts are saying that Mika was the only driver who could really stand toe to toe with Schumi, and his numerous Grand Prix wins and 2 World Titles definitely prove that. Mika’s colorful career started in 1991 with the Lotus Team. After a very impressive run, he was offered a testing contract for McLaren the following year. And the rest, as they say, is history. That was the first of many fruitful years as a Mac driver, most of which he spent partnered with David Coulthard. Thank you for the 10 years of excitement, Mika! F1 fans the world over will surely miss you.

Meanwhile, last Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix proved to be a wake-upper in reverse. I could never have imagined myself dozing off watching a Formula One race. The only thing worth watching till the end was whether Schumi, after having equaled Nigel Mansel’s "difficult to match record" (or so it was thought) of nine wins in a single year, would break this with a 10th record-setting top-of-the-podium finish.

Well, he did not. Rubens Barrichello, took the checkered flag from pole with Schumi in second, brother Ralf of Williams-BMW in third, McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen in fourth and Jordan-Honda’s Giancarlo Fischichella with his first grand prix point, 5th.

Happy motoring!!!

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