Toyota claims 1st SPMJ Golf Cup

Although there were only six of them that composed the Toyota Team (Toyota dealership representatives Lincoln Lim of Commonwealth, Michael Lee of Alabang, Rene So of Dagupan, Oben Cosco of Balintawak together with TMPI’s Serafin Pantaleon and Team Captain Danny Isla) they sounded like a hundred men when they yelled upon hearing the announcement that they had won the overall team championship trophy in the 1st SPMJ Golf Cup Invitational Tournament organized by the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists that was held at the Riviera Golf and Country Club last Thursday, March 11.

As the tournament’s Team Champion, Toyota Motor Philippines has the privilege to keep the very impressive ‘SPMJ Team Championship Cup’ until the next staging of the event where the next winner shall lay claim to it, unless of course Toyota successfully defends its title. Any team that wins the tournament three times can hold on to the trophy forever.

General Motor Automobile Philippines president James Lim was saying that the event should be held annually, considering that it is a rare occasion where representatives from the different automobile companies get to meet in very friendly sports competition. Mitsubishi Motors Philippines senior vice president Mel Dizon commented that the last time a similar event was held was about ten years ago. Honda Cars Philippines top marketing honcho Arnel Doria opined that the golf tournament was indeed a very positive project to help a worthy advocacy of traffic and road safety education for the youth. It also elevates the SPMJ as a catalyst of sorts in the local automotive industry.

Toyota’s marketing wiz Danny "Sir John" Isla made a "grand slam" in the tournament by winning a medal for being a part of the Championship Team and a beautiful glass trophy, courtesy of our trophy donor Asahi Glass, for being the Class B Champion. Other winners in the class are Salvador Cabrera of Volvo, 1st runner up and Rene So of Toyota as 2nd runner up.

Other marketing exponents in the industry claimed Class C honors. Isuzu Philippines Corporation’s top marketing and sales executive Art Balmadrid lead other winners as the class champion while Francis Ferreol of the UMC team followed as 1st runner-up with former Ford Group Philippines marketing top honcho and now Mazda Philippines managing director Dave "Mr. Mac" Macasadia took 2nd runner up honors while playing for the Ford Team, which also took the "Best Team Uniform" award for being complete having eight members and all dressed up from ìhead to toeî ready for a friendly but highly competitive golfing.

In the Class A category, Remijin Camping, who was playing for Viking Cars-Volvo claimed victory and also the Overall Individual Championship. The 1st runner up, Amado Angeles, came from the Universal Motors team while the 2nd runner up was Cosco Oben of Toyota.

The media category had The Star’s sports editor, Lito Tacujan leading the pack as champion with Chuck Montecillo playing for C! Magazine coming in as 1st runner up and Bulletin’s sports editor Ding Marcelo turning in scores to merit 2nd runner up honors.

There are many people to thank for the event’s unprecedented success, starting with the sponsors, many of whom didn’t really bother much about the media values but were more concerned about contributing to a worthy cause and advocacy and getting to mingle with friends in the industry in a friendly game of golf — Ford Group Philippines, Isuzu Philippines Corporation, Honda Cars Philippines, General Motors Automobiles Philippines, Viking Cars (Volvo), Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, Universal Motors Philippines (Nissan commercial vehicles), Toyota Motor Philippines, BMW Philippines and Caltex Philippines (in the order of official approval of sponsorship).

The Riviera Golf and Country Club made sure that the tournament went snug free and for this SPMJ wishes to thank its president Commodore Danny Pizarro for the all out support for the project and for having such a team of reliable but very friendly personnel — Eric Gozo, Andrew Ong, Henry Arabelo, Zheree Tan, Love Alegre and all the men and women of the Riviera who were always all smiles during the entire event.

Then we have also our donors, which made the awarding much livelier what with raffle prizes like one complete set of tires from Michelin (Tiara Comm’l), one set of tires from B.F. Goodrich (RYCO Inc.), a roof rack and umbrellas from Thule, batteries from Motolite, beer and soft drinks from San Miguel Corporation, overnight accommodations from Microtel Inn.

Tony Mapa, president of AAP, upon reading of the event in this column a day before, made "habol" by donating boxes of golf balls while I had to wake up my friend Bobby Joseph of Ralph’s Wines for the wine we served during the awarding ceremonies.

But let me also give due credits to Tet Andolong who perfectly handled the running of the event very professionally and also as a labor of love (ganoon talaga pag asawa ng mafia).

And of course all the members of the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists (without meaning to be self-serving) who all contributed their time and efforts to make sure we pull this one through — Founding Directors and officers; Popong Andolong (motoring editor — Today), 1st vice president, Pinky Colmenares (motoring editor — Bulletin), vice president/corporate secretary, Ron delos Reyes (producer/host — Auto Review), vice president/treasurer, Erle Sebastian (motoring columnist — Today), vice president for corporate affairs, Brian Afuang (motoring journalist — The Philippine STAR), vice president for special projects, Anjo Perez (supplement editor of Overdrive — Bulletin), vice president for external affairs, Vernon Sarne (motoring editor/columnist — Manila Times), vice president for internal affairs, Jenny Bleza (production manager/director — Motoring Today/Auto Focus), vice president for finance and this writer, founding chairman and president.

It was a very successful fund-raising event but it’s only the beginning — now the real work begins.

Again to all those who helped — maraming, maraming salamat po.

Another Option For Motorists

A new reformulated formula for all its gasoline brands was introduced by Shell to the media last Monday at the Mandarin Hotel in Makati.

Dubbed as "Better Mileage" formula, Shell’s official spokesperson Bobby Kanapi proudly announced that, "It is part of the company’s long-standing commitment to provide customers with innovative fuel products that meet their needs for their everyday lives."

Shell’s vice president and GM for retail, Sammy de Guzman confided that, "The ‘Better Mileage’ formula is a result of exhaustive research and extensive field tests conducted at Shell’s Laboratories in England, a R & D that cost all of 1.6 million dollars."

Sammy added that the "Better Mileage" formula, now in all its gasoline brands — Super Premium, Super Unleaded and Velocity is set to meet motorists’ demand for products that are superior in quality but affordable in price. The Shell guys present during the media launch also confidently declared that the improved formulation would not cause any price increase in these gasoline brands.

For his part, Randy del Valle, Shell’s fuels brands manager, said that, "‘Better Mileage’ is the first to be introduced in the country and boasts of improved engine efficiency by addressing the needs of the fuel system such as minimizing deposits, improving combustion and reducing fiction."

The Shell guys said that it’s available in all Shell stations nationwide and they urge all motorists to try it to feel the mark difference not only in performance but also in fuel efficiency.

Happy Motoring!!!

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