It's about time

There’s welcome news from the leadership of the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) that they would be dismantling illegal transport terminals all over the metropolis – this would mean a lot.

These illegal terminals where divers of jeepneys, tricycles and other modes of public transport appropriate sidewalks, roads and other available spaces to wait for, load and unload passengers have been causing a lot of aggravation to motorists, pedestrians, and even owners of properties in their vicinity.

Many are also the main causes of traffic flow impediment in the areas where they are found and all under the noses of the police and traffic enforcers who unscrupulously put them under the mantel of their protection.

It seems that current MMDA top gun will be staging a no nonsense campaign. Chairman Francis Tolentino was quoted as saying that he knows a lot of people would be affected by this measure but “it had to be done and it will be done.”

The good chairman has shown his brand of political will and we just hope it continues on to the implementation of this long-awaited, long-delayed move to rid the metropolis of illegal transport terminals.

The best of luck to you, Mr. Chairman.

So who’s gonna last the longest?

It was another extremely successful staging of the much-awaited Subaru Impreza Challenge that I saw for myself last Saturday, August 20 at the Eastwood City Central Plaza where 70 participants gamely placed their right hand firmly on palm decals strategically located on Subaru Impreza cars.

Motor Image Pilipinas, exclusive distributors of the high performance Subaru automobiles in the Philippines, mounted for the 4th successful time the Manila leg of this uniquely challenging contest that started in Singapore in 2002.

The Subaru Impreza Challenge is an endurance competition participated in by Singaporeans and finalists from nine Asian countries including the Philippines. Participants get the chance to win a brand-new Subaru Impreza 2.0AT worth P1.218 million.

Nicky Mariano, the top honcho of Motor Image Pilipinas, who was greatly responsible for the successful brand re-recognition of Subaru in the Philippines, was himself at Eastwood City to make sure everything went like clock work early Saturday morning way before 10am for the start of the competition up until way beyond the end, which was a good 12 hours after.

Nicky gamely explained that in the Manila leg qualifier of the Subaru Impreza Challenge, the top 10 finalists will receive a 19-inch LCD TV and an all-expense paid trip to Singapore, where they would test their endurance amid harsh weather conditions as they compete in the final contest. This year’s competition promises to be even tougher as different challenges and prohibitions await the contestants.

“Tough means not being allowed to have any accessories like sunglasses, hats or sweatbands during the competition, as well as prohibitions against any change of apparel or footwear. Contestants may only use the toilet, eat and drink, or even get a massage during the five minute breaks,” added this auto executive who has gone a long way in the industry starting with Toyota and then moving on to GM and now it is he who’s credited for the successful reemerging in the Philippines of Subaru’s known combination of tough performance in a comfortable cabin, which was somehow not in many car buyers’ mind until Nicky took over.

Last Saturday’s endurance marathon has the following finalists who would be pitted among the best namely; Robert Ocampo, Edgardo Marcos, Anna Carizo, Robert Tomas, Danilo Biadog, Rey Pizana, Carlo Garcia, Alex Neblasca, Apple Balibado and Kris Uy.

Congratulations Nicky for a very successful event.

A huge success for Toyota

“We are really expecting a lot of people to be here for the next six days” said Raymond Rodriguez, first vice president of Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) during the lunch of the event to mark the 23rd anniversary of TMP in the country, “The Toyota Tent Event” at the NBC Tent at the Bonifacio Global City last Wednesday, August 17.

And indeed the people came in droves for what has been touted to be the “biggest Toyota car sale of the year”. I guess they were not disappointed as another record sale was again registered during the event. It was obvious that the buyers opted not to let pass a perfect opportunity for them to get exclusive offers and packages that Toyota was offering.

And no one can blame the Toyota buyers especially considering what was up for grabs, like; instant discounts over and above the ongoing Amazing Midyear Madness promo, flexible financing packages, a choice from their Pay Low, Pay Light, Pay Cash, Pay Later or Pay Easy schemes, the chance to draw up to P100,000 worth of discounts, P50,000 additional trade-in value when buying a new Toyota, to name some.

I took a moment from my writing this column to call my good friend Raymond Rodiguez about the possibility of coming up with some of these perks for Toyota buyers during the Auto Focus Motor Show & Auto Expo this November at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds for those buyers who failed to grab the opportunity and he said, “It may not be close to what we just offered during the “Toyota Tent Event” but we’ll think of something. After all we always want to provide the best products at the most affordable price to our countrymen as an expression of our appreciation for our customers’ support.”

See you Toyota buyers at the Auto Focus Motor Show & Auto Expo, which will run from November 10 to 13 at the Concert Grounds of the MOA.

As tradition dictates

Following tradition, Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) once again made exceptional efforts to give back to the environment to commemorate its inaugural anniversary – its 14th in the Philippines.

IPC launched its agro-forestry corporate social responsibility campaign over lunch last Wednesday, August 17 at the Shangri-La Makati with its dealers, invited members of the motoring media, IPC top corporate officers and friends in attendance. During the intimate event IPC announced that it has partnered with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) and agreed to be one of WWF’s corporate partners for its watershed conservation and management project along the Sierra Madre mountain range in Ilagan, Isabela.

WWF is the world’s largest conservation organization and spearheads practical solutions to help the country adapt to climate change, secure food sources to alleviate poverty, conserve local ecosystems to reap natural benefits, empower communities to live low-impact lives, help corporations develop equitable, low-impact supply chains and promote renewable sources of clean energy. Like IPC, WWF is celebrating an important milestone in 2011, having marked its 50th anniversary in April.

IPC will provide funds to allow WWF to pilot and expand agro-forestry in grasslands, upland corn-growing areas and farms in order to maintain life-giving watershed functions and services.

The target result of this corporate social responsibility (CSR) endeavor is to establish 40 hectares of agro-forestry land and plant 100 mango and Satsuma seedlings per hectare, to maintain this land through the provision of organic fertilizer and to train farmers in agro-forestry and seedling production.

Isuzu began the tradition of celebrating its anniversary with a CSR project in 2002, when it organized an environment-themed show for the children of Biñan, Laguna. In 2003, the company donated a river garbage trap to Santa Rosa, Laguna, and 10,000 tilapia fingerlings to Laguna Lake.

In 2004, Isuzu donated a two-classroom building to Biñan National High School, and the following year, it helped create a man-made forest strip in Atimonan, Quezon, by donating 15,000 narra seedlings. In 2006, Isuzu planted mangroves in a five-hectare area in the Hundred Islands of Pangasinan, while also donating environmental signs and planting 500 flowering trees along the National Highway entering the town of Alaminos.

In 2007, Isuzu launched a nationwide park-conservation campaign. It donated African tulips and flowering plants, vicinity maps with environmental messages, and waste receptacles to Rizal Park in Manila; ornamental plants, plant pots with environmental messages, and environmental markers to Osmeña Park in Cebu; and more than a hundred seedlings of palm trees, waste receptacles, and lighted signboards with environmental messages to the Davao City Park.

In 2008, Isuzu launched the “Save the La Mesa Watershed Project,” which aimed to preserve the main source of drinking water among Metro Manila residents.

In 2009, IPC gave 3,000 seedlings and environmental signboards to Caliraya, Quezon, in partnership with the Haribon Foundation, Ecosave and Napocor. The company also donated 1,000 seedlings to both Cebu and Surigao.

In 2010, they adopted 13 hectares of forest at Mt. Makiling in Laguna. They also planted 300 native trees and constructed a 1.3-kilometer walkway inside the Makiling Botanical Garden.

Way to go, Isuzu!

Congratulations to Isuzu Philippines Corporation on its 14th inaugural anniversary.

Happy Motoring!!!

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