Four-day workweek may just work, if..

If the plans to limit the metro’s government work week to only four days were to see fruition, we might just finally see the end of what’s now popularly known as the weekly “Friday traffic nightmare”, that is assuming that the four-day work week would be from Monday to Thursday.

Logically, if the objective of the plan were to limit the number of people and vehicles in the streets to lessen the volume of traffic, during the workless day, then it would really work. However, the question is whether the government, with all its present bureaucracy that prevents it from working at par, would still function if its present wanting five-day work week would be further lessened.

But then, we can’t solve all the problems all at once all at the same time. So let’s take it one problem at a time.

The debilitating metro traffic should take paramount importance, if we are to consider the reported billions of pesos that we lose every single traffic gridlock day. We’ll never know if it’ll work until we try it. Let’s go for it!

Toyota Alabang—25 years of fruitful and meaningful presence

When my good friend, Lexus-Manila president, Danny “Sir John” Isla called one morning to extend an invitation to attend the 25^th anniversary celebration of Toyota Alabang Inc. (TAI) to coincide with the inauguration of its new 7-storey building, which is now one of the landmark edifices south of the metro in Filinvest City, I wasn’t a bit surprised in his involvement in the event. After all, I first met this amazing auto industry marketing wizard when I had an on-cam interview with him during the early years of the TV show Motoring Today when Sir John was still the top sales honcho of Toyota Alabang, just shortly before Toyota Motor Philippines worked hard to have him in their own fold—a big loss indeed for TAI.

What indeed got me all surprised was the enormity of the celebration with such a line up of guests, namely; Senator Nancy Binay, to represent VP Jojo Binay, there was also Senator Greg Honasan, Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, from Toyota Motor Philippines, its youthful vice chairman Alfred Ty, president Michinobu Sugata and from Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan) there was ne less than the executive vice president who flew in by private jet specifically for the event, Yaumori Ibara and with the country’s dean of emcees and toastmasters, “the” Johnny Litton as host—it must be a huge event! And here’s the clincher—one time marketing top honcho of Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) and presently the gentleman with the distinction of being the only Filipino with the highest corporate rank in Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan), Vince Socco was himself present in the flesh—indeed it was a big event!

Al “Sir Paul” Mendoza, Vernon Sarne and myself could only manage a few minutes with Vince (I used to call him “Kuya” to musk the fact of who’s really older between the two of us) to catch up but the “Pinoy expat in Japan” has promised to do a “MacArthur” very soon to get together with the other media guys, although I manage to sneak in some words of gratitude for the unconditional support he had for Motoring Today when he was still a TMP top exec.

Attending Toyota Alabang’s dual milestone of celebrating its Silver Anniversary and inaugurating their new building that was put up in record time and with the distinction of having state-of-the-art implements located in a prime spot was indeed awe-inspiring. And meeting the kind people behind the 25-year success was a privilege in itself—from its chairman, very unassuming Cesar T. Lee, the humble and friendly vice chairman Michael “Mike” Lee, evp and GM Jhoanna See, and that’s only naming the top honchos.

Great and memorable event! Congratulations to Toyota Alabang!

There’s no stopping Peugeot’s growth in the country

“So much in so short a time” is how one can describe the manner Eurobrands Distributor, Inc. (EDI) under the stewardship of local auto industry icon and EDI president, Felix Mabilog has expertly managed the growth of the brand Peugeot in the country, as its exclusive importers and distributors.

Last September 17, ominously right after a strong downpour, which to many signifies pouring luck, the Autocirculo Group with Agusto “Butch” Camacho at the helm opened Peugeot Alabang, located along Zapote Road, which is fast gaining the moniker of “automotive row” in the City of Muntinlupa. This is in addition to their present dealerships with complete showroom and service facilities located in Las Pinas, Pasay and Qurino Ave. while getting closer to their target of having a total of 5 dealerships within the year or the latest by 2015.

After barely two years of taking over the brand, which didn’t have a very significant presence during its short-lived existence many years back, EDI has indeed done wonders in reviving the Peugeot brand in the minds of local automobile buyers and establishing confidence in its after sales service and quality of vehicles that it presently brings to the country’s shores. And the growing number of eager dealers (Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Nueva Ecija, Lipa, Pasig and Negros Island) is testimony to this.

Congratulations to Peugeot Alabang!

Getting to know auto industry leaders

There’s an easier way to get to know the people behind the brand of automobiles that you have or you are contemplating to buy. Just like buying insurance or real estate, you need to know the kind of people who run or manage the brands of vehicles that you may want to spend a good number of years of your life with.

On Auto Focus ONLINE (www.autofocus.com.ph), the first and only “all-video” online automobile magazine, we have the Q&A page that features recent interviews with the country’s top automotive executives—Toyota Philippines president, Michinobu Sugata, Honda Philippines president Toshio Kuwahara, Lexus-Manila president, Danny Isla, Volkswagen Philippines president, JP Orbeta, BMW president, Ms. Maricar Parco, Kia president, Ms. Ginia Domingo, Peugeot Philippines president, Felix Mabilog, BYD president, Mark Tieng, Hyundai Philippines president, Ms. Fe Agudo, Chevrolet Philippines president Atty. Albert Arcilla, BAIC president, George Chua, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines vice president for marketing services, Froy Dytianquin, Isuzu Philippines Corporation senior vp, Art Balmdrid and others coming up.

You can access any of these interviews anytime of the day at your leisure.

Of course there are other pages with features that are all designed for the automobile enthusiasts—reviews of production cars or automobile models that are available in the country to include car show winners and other customized auto models, highlights of recent automobile test drive events that were held here and abroad, the latest auto industry news and developments and anything and everything about the automobile and its industry—all just a click away.

Happy Motoring!!!

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