Yes! We have an abundance of road heroes

The yearly search for heroes in our roads is again on-going. A corporate social responsibility (CSR) project of Goodyear Philippines, the Bayani ng Kalsada is an annual nationwide search for Filipino drivers who demonstrate courage, sacrifice and concern for others through selfless heroic acts.

The search has been done uninterrupted since it was launched 5 years ago. Our good friend, Mr. David Morrin, former Goodyear Philippines country manager initiated my involvement in this laudable project. Having been one of the judges for the past two years, I have had the opportunity to be privy to some of the heroic stories and deeds done by drivers, mostly done through the Pinoy’s natural instinct to help anyone who’s in need of succor.

I remember David saying then, “There are a lot of Filipino drivers who have done many heroic deeds helping others while on the road, many of them as a knee-jerk reaction, others a way of life. But somehow we still need to draw them out.”

I was so tempted to say then, “Helping others is no big deal for us Pinoys. It’s so much imbedded into our culture after having gone through hardships of being colonized and expecting no help from our colonizers but from our fellow Pinoys. Being that common, such demeanor is no longer much to crow about. We don’t brag about our brushing our teeth in the morning.” But then if I did say that, it would be politically improper.

But indeed all of us should do our share in recognizing these drivers who do selfless acts in service to others, specifically while on the road. Not that we lack role models, but as part of the rules of the search, these heroes should be nominated and their deeds documented and vouched for. It is not a usual part of the Pinoy’s culture to come forward and declare to the world a heroic deed done that’s why we need to help bring these brave efforts be known to the world by us who see them, experience and most especially benefit from them.

According to our friends from Goodyear Philippines nomination is open to all professional drivers who have shown honesty, responsibility and genuine concern for public safety while on the road. For more information log on to the Bayani ng Kalsada page on Facebook.

Chart-busting growth

One morning while traveling through the Skyway somewhere in the Bicutan area I happened to look down towards the offices of Columbian Autocar Corporation (CAC), the authorized distributors of Kia vehicles in the country. And what I saw was an amazing sight – a respectable-looking, bespectacled gentleman was beating his chest repeatedly. Driving at a fast clip but within legal speeds, I couldn’t make out the gentleman. But now, after getting hold of some numbers pertaining to the phenomenal sales figures of CAC I’m quite positive as to whom I saw beating his chest that cold morning in front of the CAC offices.

That must be no other than the indefatigable auto industry veteran who’s present sole goal is to make Kia, “one of the three top-selling vehicles in the country” and eventually make it “Number One” – CAC president and COO Mr. Felix J. Mabilog, Jr. And who can take it against my good friend Felix to beat his chest, with the following chart-busting figures registered by Kia in the country and worldwide?

Kia in the Philippines once again came up with a stellar sales performance in 2010, registering a robust growth of 48% on a year on year basis or a volume of 5,566 units, eclipsing its own chart-busting volume recorded in the last 5 years. And this growth rate is higher than the overall industry growth of 27 percent.

In the world market, Kia is one now one of the world’s top-selling brands as it announced that in 2010 it exceeded annual sales of 2 million units, a feat that only a handful of major automakers have so far achieved.

When I finally got our good friend Felix on the phone to ask him if it was really him that I saw beating his chest one morning in front of the CAC offices he replied, “The local market has grown increasingly competitive but our dealers have pushed the Kia brand successfully to our discerning buyers. We are happy that Kia has made it into their list of preferred cars, reflecting a positive rise in our consumer satisfaction index.”

So why shouldn’t Felix beat his chest?

Now he wears the other shoe

All dyed-in-the wool motor sports enthusiasts from whatever part of the world, especially those that closely follow the World Rally Championship (WRC) series and the World Formula One (F1) series know of the man named Jean Todt – the Frenchman who, as Team Principal gave Peugeot to five WRC championship titles and Ferrari, similarly five F1 World Champion awards.

With the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) as his gracious hosts, Mr. Todt, who was elected president of the Federation Internationale de Automobile (FIA) in November 2009, came for his first visit to the Philippines last week as part of his 4-year term plans of visiting all the motoring and sporting clubs worldwide that are affiliated with the FIA.

The FIA, which is a non-profit association founded in 1904 and is currently based in Paris, France has been dedicated to represent the rights of motoring organizations and automobile users throughout the world on issues of safety, mobility environment and other interests. It is also the governing body for motor sports worldwide – administering the rules and regulations for all international four-wheel events including F1, WRC and the World Touring car Championship.

As the incumbent FIA president, he heads an organization with 227 national motoring and sporting clubs (including the country’s AAP as an FIA member) from 132 countries representing a total of some 100 million individual motorists.

And ironically as president of the FIA, he now finds himself “on the other shoe”, so to speak. If you remember, Jean Todt, as Ferrari Team Principal was in the middle of a highly published issue where his team was reprimanded for issuing “team orders” during an F1 Grand Prix to then race leader Reubens Barrichello to give way and let his tailing teammate Michel Schumacher, who then leading in the points, to pass. An illegal act that was again done by the Ferrari Team last year, which has prompted the FIA to strictly ban such “team orders” in this year’s series.

Also a major concern of Mr. Todt’s visit to the country is to promote the United Nations’ proclamation of 2011-2020 as a Decade of Action for Road Safety, which will be launched worldwide in May, 2011. This is in reaction to the number of deaths on the world’s roads each year – an alarming number at 1.3 million killed with 50 million injured with many disabled as a result.

On a positive note, the Philippines has been having its share of the responsibility to promote road safety by way of private initiatives of non-government organizations like the Socio-Com Foundation for Asia and Sunshine Television through the TV Show Motoring Today and the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists (SPMJ) as they conduct free road safety seminars in schools both for teachers and the students.

Kookie and Pochie must be smiling

I’m sure many of you know or may have heard of Ms. Menchie Ramirez. She has been and still is one of the few skilled lady racing drivers in the country. And why not? As the doting wife of the late professional race driver Kookie Ramirez, daughter-in-law of the late racing legend Pocholo Ramirez and sister-in-law of Ramirez brothers Georges, Louis and Miguel, professional racers all and belonging to the legendary Ramirez Racing Clan, what can you expect?

Well, Menchie is now part of the dynamic team of business tycoon and auto industry mover and shaker Mr. Robert Coyuito, Jr. in PGA Cars, exclusive country distributors of the remarkable sports car marquees Porsche and Audi.

As PGA Cars’ Public Relations Officer and Motor Sports Manager, Menchie is now part of the energetic team composed of the Coyuito siblings – Robert III and Benedict, executive director Nick Lagmay and PGA Cars veteran Amado del Rosario.

With Menchie in the fold, expect a lot more of well-run events from PGA Cars.

Oh my, another record starting grid!

It appears that auto industry motor sports enthusiasts can’t have enough of the thrills and excitement of an “on time, all the time” auto rally.

As we gear up for the 2011 STV Auto Rally Corporate Challenge, a total of thirteen (13) automobile companies have so far signed up, namely; (in no particular order) Asian Carmakers (BMW), CATS Motors (Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Jeep, & Dodge), The Covenant Car Company Inc. (Chevy Cruze, Camaro, Tahoe), Ford Philippines (Focus), Isuzu (Alterra, Crosswind, D-MAX), Columbian Autocar (Kia), Lexus-Manila (Lexus), Mazda Philippines (Mazda), Mitsubishi Motors Philippines ( Montero Sport, Lancer, Galant), PGA Cars (Porsche, Audi), Motor Image Pilipinas (Subaru), Toyota Motor Philippines (Vios, Altis. Fortuner, HiLux) and Viking Cars (Volvo).

With four (4) more companies asking for extension as they wait for final approval this year’s staging can run 52 to 68 automobile entries, a bigger starting grid than last year’s record-setting 63, the biggest in the country’s history of staging Sampaguita “on time, all the time” Rally. This will be despite our decision to limit team entries to only 4 cars per team instead of last year’s 5 to a team.

It is a good thing, the rally’s Clerk of Course, Georges Ramirez has designed this year’s staging in such a way that the number of participants would not adversely affect the running of the event. Indeed an exciting, grey matter-challenging 2011 STV Auto Rally Corporate Challenge awaits all participants this year. More updates in future columns.

Happy Motoring!!!

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