Practice what you preach. This has been the mantra of Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) since Day One, exactly ten years ago. Bold enough as their goals are, they have even coined the slogan “Your Responsible Partner” as proof of their undying commitment to be such. Since then, every Isuzu anniversary has been capped by numerous contributions to the environment and to the community, which was started off by an environmental show for the children of Biñan and Sta. Rosa (both in Laguna) in 2002, a donation of tilapia fingerlings and river garbage traps to the Laguna Lake in 2003, a donation of a two-classroom building to the Binan National High School in 2004, the creation of a man-made forest strip in Quezon in 2005, and a mangrove planting in Pangasinan in 2006.
This year, 2007, is a very special year for Isuzu. Not only do they celebrate their 10th anniversary, but also they’ll mark this not only with one, but three distinct contributions to the country’s leading parks and open spaces. They’ve started by donating African Tulips and flowering plants at the Rizal Park in Manila earlier this year; followed by a donation of ornamental plants, planter pots and environmental heritage markers for the preservation and beautification of the Fuente Osmeña Park in Cebu City months after. To cap-off their contributions, Isuzu traveled down south to Davao City in Mindanao, with the new PTA Park as the exact venue.
For the third and the final Mindanao leg of their 10th inaugural anniversary celebration, Isuzu donated and planted more than a hundred seedlings of the palm species family to add to the park’s lush greenery. In addition, they’ve also donated waste receptacles that were placed in strategic locations within the park’s premises to encourage the park’s visitors to dispose of their wastes properly and help maintain the park’s cleanliness. Last, but not the least, Isuzu also donated a handful of lighted signages with environmental messages, which will serve as reminder to every visitor of the importance of keeping the park clutter-free.
“[Parks] serve as the lungs of the city because they help clean the air and taking care of the environment and improving the society are our top priorities,” IPC President Keiji Takeda said in a statement. Indeed, a park serves as a venue for one to recharge and unwind, as well as relish the beauty of nature amidst the concrete jungle.
“This is our gift to the Davaoeños. This is also our way of carrying out our corporate philosophy, the SEE Technology, which stands for safety, economy, and environment-friendliness. Through this, we hope to inspire other private corporations to take an active role in caring for our environment for the benefit of the people,” IPC Vice President for Corporate Business Art Balmadrid said. Indeed, Davao is regarded as one of Isuzu’s strongholds in the country, with no less than City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte being one of its loyal patrons, with multiple Isuzu vehicles in his possession.
Capping off this generous act by Isuzu was the presentation of a plaque of appreciation by Vice Mayor Sara Duterte, after which a ceremonial planting activity followed suit. This activity was participated in by IPC and dealer team members, Davao City local governments, and various guests from the local and national media. A cultural presentation capped the day’s activities.
To further highlight the importance of their 10th anniversary, Isuzu has done symbolic releases in all of their anniversary legs. In Rizal Park in Manila, Takeda and Balmadrid, together with Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Cynthia Carrion and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, led the symbolic release of 10 doves to signify the company’s 10th anniversary and Rizal Park’s healthy flora and fauna For the second leg, Takeda, Balmadrid, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Vice Mayor Michael Rama, and Isuzu Cebu General Manager Antonio Pineda led the ceremonial release of 10 cages of butterflies at Fuente Osmeña Park. So for the third and final leg, IPC executives Takeda and Balmadrid, together with Vice Mayor Sara Duterte, and Isuzu Davao President Milton Liu, once again led the symbolic release. This time they lighted and released 10 sky lanterns to signify Isuzu Philippines’ continuing commitment to its vision for the years to come.
“Our contributions do not end here. What’s good about this is that our children and our children’s children will surely reap the benefits of having beautiful parks and healthy cities for more decades to come, just like any Isuzu vehicle that will provide service for years and years to come,” Takeda further adds. In addition to this environmental and societal contributions, Isuzu marks another milestone this year as the 100,000th unit rolled out of IPC’s premises in July, and 100,000th retail sales achieved in August. “We hope to achieve more and do greater things for the environment, for the society, and for the country in general. I look forward to the challenges Isuzu will face next year especially in our commitment of being the country’s Responsible Partner,” he concludes.