Long-time coming

It has been a long wait but it seems that it was well worth it.

The prospect of having affordable vehicles that use electric or alternative fuels has brightened with the passing on third and final reading in Congress House Bill 5460.

When passed into law, tax breaks would be provided for the manufacture, assembly, conversion and importation of electric, hybrid and other alternative-fuel vehicles to help protect the environment by mitigating the effects of harmful emissions into the atmosphere that come from petrol-based engines.

Under the bill, incentives are given in form of exemption from payment of excise taxes and duties for nine years from the effectivity of the law for the manufacture or assembly of completely knocked-down (CKD) parts of electric, hybrid and other alternative fuel vehicles, including their conversion. It also exempts from payment of value-added tax for the same period the importation of raw materials, spare parts, components and capital equipment for the same kinds of vehicles.

Of course as we know the drill — a counterpart legislation in the Senate would also be needed to be passed and approved before a combined version is approved before it gets to be a law of the land. We just hope that this bill would enjoy easy sailing considering its importance as a way of helping the environment and lessening our country’s dependence on fossil oil.

Many are saying that only those whose present business would be negatively affected would exert efforts to derail this bill and you can be sure they are the ones who couldn’t care less about the proposed bill’s paramount positive impact but only about their margins.    

Now a major integral part

We started the “Media’s Choice” Awards as a part of the Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards in 2009 in answer to the clamor of many of the motoring journalists for a window for their choices of vehicles that they feel stand out in some aspects like those having the most substantial or significant safety features, the most impressive entertainment package, most comfortable ride or value for money, etc. — a kind of judgment that can best be arrived at with a closer working knowledge rather than a cursory one.

Similar to the People’s Choice Awards, the Media’s Choice Awards do not in any way pass judgment as to what may be the best vehicles in a given year are. It is still a popularity contest that determines which among the present crop of vehicles appeal more to the motoring journalists in the given aspects for which the award is given. Considering that motoring journalists have more intimate knowledge or exposure to the vehicles by way of the test drives that most automobile manufacturers and importers offer, they would be in a better position to compare and make their choice.

There are six Media’s Choice Awards for all the 13 automobile categories for a total of 78 awards. The awards are as follows; 1) Best on-board entertainment setup 2) Most comfortable ride 3) Best safety features 4) Best value for money 5) Best engine performance and 6) Best design.

For this year to avoid giving awards even to vehicles that garner only a single vote, the present process would require a model to get a certain percentage of the total votes cast to qualify for an award.

Another major innovation to this year’s Media’s Choice polls is that instead of mailing the ballots to the accredited motoring journalists to be filled up and sent back, they will now be invited to come for a polling day when they can cast their votes personally. The voting day has been scheduled sometime in October at the Valle Verde Country Club where all accredited journalists would be able to access all the information about the vehicles to guide them further in making their choices aside from the test drives they may or may not have made. Aside from the standard vehicle information that the organizers would provide during the voting day, the manufacturers and importers would be free to give journalists more added inputs about their vehicles by way of brochures, handouts and even power point presentations that would be allowed anytime during the day of the polls.

Together with the awarding of the 2012 People’s Choice Award winners, it was an exciting awarding for last year’s Media’s Choice winners as they only knew they won when they were called.

This year, the excitement would surely be doubled as winners of both sets of awards would only be announced on the same night.

New Mitsubishi Dealership

High quality Mitsubishi vehicles, their genuine parts and renowned customer service are now closer to those in the northern part of the country with the opening of a new dealership of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) at the Subic Freeport Zone.

Carworld Subic offers a 10-car, world-class showroom complemented by a 25-bay service area located at the Subic Bay Gate Park. The new MMPC dealership proudly rests on a 3,286 square meter lot with a 2,220 sqm 2-storey building.

“With Subic’s great tourism industry and excellent economic profile and being one of the premier and fastest growing markets in the region, I am confident that Carworld Subic will continue its remarkable sales and service performance,” remarked Mr. Hikosaburo Shibata, president and CEO of MMPC during its recently held inauguration and blessing, which was attended by MMPC top officials, Mr. Taizo Furuhashi, executive vice president, Mr. Kasuki Sugino, treasurer and also by the officials of the Laus Group of Companies, which owns and operates the dealership.

Another successful staging

Congratulations are in order to Ferman Lao, president of the Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI) for another successful presentation of the Car of the Year (COTY).

After eight grueling days of tests and weeks of tallying of test results for the 36 nominees and a short list of 11 finalists for this year, the winners were finally proclaimed during the evening of the opening day of the 8th Manila International Motor Show, which was held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.  

Congratulations also go to all the distinguished winners.

A new page in The Philippine Star’s history

As we bade goodbye our long-time motoring editor, Dong Magsajo, last week going to a new path to seek new challenges in a different field, we warmly welcome our new man at the reins, Manny de los Reyes. 

The word “new” is actually a misnomer for Manny as far as the motoring world is concerned. I first met him as a young man working for Nissan Motor Philippines. It was not easy for me to forget our first encounter in my office because aside from his good looks and gentle manners, he was also the first from Nissan then to offer me a test drive. It was a Nissan Altima, if my memory serves me right.

His expert knowledge of the automobile is close to legendary, which also made me invite him to join Sunshine TV as our head technical writer for both our TV shows, Motoring Today and Auto Focus. But being destined for much bigger things, it was short-lived as he was given an offer that was hard to refuse — to head and co-own a magazine — and the rest is history, as the old cliché goes.

When word came out about Dong’s decision for a career change, I had apprehensions as to who would lead us here in the motoring section of the Star. When Manny’s name finally came out — out the window went all the worries. I knew we’ll be in good hands again.

Welcome to the fold, Manoy. Oops, sorry, Boss pala.

Happy Motoring!!!

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