Toyota's yearly trek and treat

It was a good seven years back when Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) started the now traditional Toyota Road Trek, a driving and riding event that’s aimed for the motoring media to experience and appreciate the road worthiness of their current automobile models. It’s also an opportunity that TMP takes to bring these ever-busy, deadline-beating journalists to exotic places in the country that they may not have the time to go, appreciate and enjoy.    

The yearly, now much-awaited adventure started in 2005 when 36 members of the Philippine motoring media were flown to Iloilo for a long drive to Caticlan aboard Innovas and a relished whole day’s R&R at the world-famous Boracay beach.  

In 2006, it was still the Toyota Innova that was used as the workhorse for the long, arduous land travel from Cagayan de Oro to Davao with 47 attendees braving the drive and ride in various road surfaces once again proving the road worthiness of the Innova.

The internationally-launched IMV (Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicles) models, the Fortuner, Innova and Hilux were on the spotlight when they took with ease the various types of roads and the RORO trip from Dumaguete to Cebu in 2007, this time with 53 members of the motoring media in attendance.  

The following year saw the combined road worthiness of the Vios and the Altis through the winding roads of Rizal for an entire day of non-stop driving and riding by 40 fortunate motoring journalists who stayed overnight at the posh Sofitel Hotel and the next day were all flown for the unforgettable nature trip to Palawan with a memorable 2-night stay at the world-renowned El Nido Beach Resort. That was the always much-talked about 2008 Toyota Road Trek.

In 2009 it was the Vios and the Innova that were combined to take 25 motoring journalists for a long Bacolod to Dumaguete road trip.

The next year in 2010 it was back to Boracay for 32 media practitioners after being flown in to Iloilo and made to board the current-model Vios for a road trip going through Antique before an overnight stay and a day’s frolicking fun at the country’s premier beach destination.

Last year the famed super fuel-efficient Prius teamed with the Vios and the Innova to take 36 motoring journalists from Leyte to Cebu for a restful overnight stay (after a scary Catamaran boat ride) and a whole day’s fun at the Shangri-La Hotel. 

It’s not really all ride and drive for those who are invited to join the Toyota Road Trek. TMP always make sure that the trip would not have a boring minute. Aside from the innate excitement of every dyed-in-the-wool motoring journalist to be behind the wheel or just riding enjoying the sights, there are always “challenges” along the way that pit all the participants grouped together into different teams that are made up of those riding together. And these competitions come with worthy prizes for winners.  

I remember, there was a time that we all had to dress-up like ati-atihan dancers—make-up and all with the team that looks the most authentic getting the most points. There was a time when the competition was for the team that would be able to load the most number of sugar canes inside a Toyota Innova. Then there was the scary rappelling competition when one of the motoring journalists, Dinzo Tabamo of Top Gear magazine was slowly slipping down the rope head first to a deep pond. Of course, the innate athlete in Dinzo made him rightly maneuver himself before he reached the end of the line—that was the last of rappelling ever in the Toyota Road Trek.

It was during the 2009 Toyota Road Trek (Bacolod-Dumaguete) when my STV (Sunshine Television) Team (Jenny Bleza, Matt Mallari and myself joined by Charles Buban of PDI) came out as the Champions while we were 2nd Runner-up in the following year (Iloilo-Antique-Boracay), after which I told my team that it was time to give chances to others. (I know my peers wouldn’t like to read this) 

But indeed there are a lot more of memorable bonding experiences among journalists with fellow journalists and journalists with the men and women of Toyota Motor Philippines with no less than its sitting president always in attendance.

This year’s Toyota Road Trek, which was held in Bohol and Cebu from May 15-17, Tuesday to Thursday had 37 members of the motoring media joining. After an early morning Cebu Pacific flight, which was delayed making us land in Tagbilaran, Bohol an hour late, the participants immediately boarded 5 2012 Toyota Innovas, which was recently officially unveiled in Boracay and 4 Vios 2012 models, bound for the Baclayon Elementary School.

Aside from being the venue for the first challenge, which made the participants guess how many bags were stuffed inside a Vios and an Innova, it was also in this school where Toyota Motor Philippines donated 400 school bags with school supplies like books, pencils, ballpens, etc. to the students.  

Yuji Goto, executive vp of TMP who made the official turn over to the students and teachers said, “The Toyota Road Trek has always been known as a fun trip showcasing the beautiful places of the Philippines. This year we also wanted to showcase the people of the area. We wanted to give back to the community and incorporate it with the fun challenges that the Road Trek is known for.”

We also gathered from Raymond Rodriguez, TMP’s first VP for marketing during our chat while aboard the RORO’s 2-hour trip from the Loon Wharf in Bohol to the Argao Port in Cebu, that Bohol was not just a random choice for this year’s Toyota Road Trek, “Bohol seemed to be the perfect place to visit because it is known for many scenic driving spots and natural wonders, Chocolate hills, Forests Tarsiers etc. Moreover, Bohol’s road network, with a combination of paved and rough winding roads was an ideal place to showcase the strengths of both the Vios and Innova. In addition to this, the Road Trek has not yet been to this area in the previous 7- year run.”

This year’s event took all of 205 kilometers with 80 kilometers of which was the trip from the Argao Port to our final destination, which was the Island of Badian.

The long trip was all worth it, especially for the winners during the awards night and with a bonus for those who didn’t win with concert performances coming from no less than TMP rocker of a president, Michinobu Sugata who was joined in the stage by card-bearing Beatlemaniacs, Danny “Sir John Lennon” Isla, president of Lexus-Manila and motoring journalist Al “Sir Paul McCartney” Mendoza. 

I have never missed a single Toyota Road Trek in all its 8 staging and I’m looking forward to another adventure next year.

Happy Motoring!!!

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