A better alternative

The modified version of the "color coding" scheme that came out after weeks of experimentation and endless flak aimed at the MMDA, in the absence of anything better, is indeed a better alternative for private car owners. At least they now have a daily window to use their vehicles even on days that they are banned from the streets of the metro.

Being a motorist who travels daily along EDSA, I still maintain that ridding our metro’s main thoroughfare of those huge colorum buses could do wonders in de-clogging EDSA. Another measure is to make sure that the buses strictly stay in their lanes and not allow overtaking can also make a lot of difference. It is also when these buses try to out-maneuver each other to get passengers and in the process encroach on the lanes of private vehicles when some gridlock start to develop.

No offense meant to the bus operators. These are just the observations of a motorist who see anarchy in the streets daily mostly initiated by undisciplined bus drivers.

We’ll miss you Ishino-san

He’s outspoken and gutsy when it comes to making comments regarding issues that affect the local automotive industry. That explains why he’s one of the most quoted in press reports and always ready for TV interviews whenever controversies in the industry arise, especially those involving the government. This is of course apart for his being very knowledgeable in his field.

Aside from being an enthusiast to recon with when it comes to the terpsichorean art (You should see his ala-Travolta moves on the dance floor), he is also a physically fit outdoorsman who loves to be close to nature and in many of his adventures brings the motoring media to share in his passion. And in most of these trips and sorties all over the country, he outruns, out swims and out climbs many of those from the Fourth Estate who are almost half his age.

These are the attributes of Mr. Hiroshi Ishino, the outgoing executive vice president of Isuzu Philippines Corporation that made him a darling of the motoring media.

Isuzu Philippines recently hosted an exclusively party for the media to honor his soft-spoken and visibly friendly replacement, Mr. Kazuhiko Sho and as a send off or a farewell fete for the longest serving top Japanese executive in the local automotive industry. During the affair, a funny but very meaningful audio visual presentation produced by a group of motoring journalists centering on Ishino-san’s family, achievements and leisure lightened up the bash where mixed emotions pervaded. There was some sadness to Ishino-san’s leaving but happiness too as someone who is already considered a friend moves on contentedly to meet new challenges and face brighter horizons.

But, true to form, as he leaves behind a very successful Isuzu Philippines Corporation, which, to a very great extent, he toiled for until it became one of the market leaders, especially in the AUV (Asian Utility Vehicle) sector, Ishino-san sends a message of hope to our government leaders. He pleads them to reconsider moves to freely allow the importation of CBUs (Completely Built Units), either at reduced tariffs or worse sans tariffs. Mr. Ishino strongly feels that such a move would eventually kill the AUV, that which was envisioned to be the common man’s vehicle for multiple usages. He is batting for the continued assembly of SKDs (Semi Knocked Down units), as it would mean the utilization of more labor, a vital element of a strong economy and the survival of downstream industries that supply local parts for vehicle manufacturing.

Ishino-san–we will surely miss you. Good luck. Until we meet again.

Formula One Update

After two legs into the season it appears that the Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone tandem’s "taking the bull by the horn" is paying off. The exciting and hardly predictable results of the first two races of the year may well be a result of the initial changes in the rules regarding the running of the 2003 World Formula One Series.

For the benefit of those who may have missed the "live" cable TV telecast of the Malaysian Grand Prix from the Sepang F1 Circuit, some records of sorts were established last Sunday. It was the first grand prix win of 23 year-old Kimi Raikkonen of West McLaren and the first pole position ever earned by a 21 year-old in the racing person of Alonso of Renault, the youngest ever in F1 history, who also took the third slot in the podium. Michael Schumacher was again nowhere in the podium, although the red uniform of Reubens Barrichello was upright in the second rung. Schumy had to do a "run through the pit lane" as a penalty of figuring in an "avoidable collision" with Renault’s Jarno Trulli, who occupied slot number 2 in the grid, when the two were negotiating the second turn of the race. One of the race commentators even ventured to say that what happened was not very much like a world champion Schumacher and it could be a result of some kind of an unlikely pressure on the 5-time crown holder (A record he holds together with Juan Manuel Fangio) who’s obviously gunning for a record-breaking 6th championship win.

It now seems that with the new rules, tactical planning may indeed have a chance over car supremacy in winning races. And with more changes come Silverstone, like the banning of ‘launch’ and ‘traction controls’, the driver factor gets an added billing in the "man and machine" combination in Formula One, where machine has been getting as much as 80 % share until much lately with the rule changes.

If I’m not mistaken this is the first Malaysian Grand Prix that I missed since it opened in 1999, thank God. Don’t get me wrong, I like Malaysia, I like the circuit, undeniably the best designed so far, but it’s the heat and humidity in Sepang that I can’t stand. You have only two options if you want to comfortably enjoy watching the Formula 1 race there–from your hotel room, but that’ll be minus the smell of burnt tire rubber and engine oil or from the air conditioned hospitality suites, but that’ll mean that you or your sponsor would have to shell out tens of thousands of pesos for entrance fees.

However, it has been said many times over that a car surviving the Sepang F1 Circuit, where heat and humidity plus the unpredictable change in weather conditions or even varied weather conditions in different parts of the track, is a strong indication of survival in other circuits in the world. This also holds true for the drivers who have to endure track temperatures that sometimes go over 40 degrees centigrade and the air as high as over 30 degrees while dressed in multi-layered fire retardant uniforms racing at stressful break neck speeds lasting for over two hours in a most uncomfortable position–factors that require tip top physical fitness.

Australian GP highlights

We should have aired the Australian Grand Prix, which we personally covered in Melbourne, immediately on the Sunday after it was held, but technical problems prevented us. We had to send the PAL-Secam tapes used by the Australian camera crew provided to me by our gracious hosts, Honda Cars Philippines, back to Australia for conversion to our country’s NTSC system. Well, it’s here now and we are in the process of editing the tapes and the TV special will finally be shown this week on the TV show, Motoring Today (Sunday, 11:30 AM, Channel 4 Manila and nationwide via satellite on the National Broadcasting Network), while the highlights of the Malaysian Grand Prix on the proceeding Sunday.