Farming for Cars 101

In the life of every journalist, there comes — not very often — the occasional story that just doesn’t seem to make sense. And, in truth, it’s this kind of story that needs to be told most. Dear reader, I humbly ask you to indulge me, because I found one last week.

At the Loft at Rockwell in Makati last April 4, I attended a technology symposium arranged by CATS Motors, local distributors of Daimler Chrysler and Mercedes Benz cars (see James Deakin’s accompanying piece in today’s issue). As expected, an extensive presentation on alternative fuels ensued and indeed consumed most of the day’s activities. The accompanying test drive exercise of one of Daimler Chrysler’s Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) was enough to sustain most of the guests’ interest. However, as the day wore on and people had felt that they had seen and heard the gist of the message being sent out that day, the crowd eventually thinned. Touché. The story of the day came just as the symposium was about to end. It was at this time, you see, that the connection between the farmers of Leyte and the Mercedes Benz A-Class was made.

Let’s start where it all makes sense, shall we? Being one of the oldest and largest automobile makers in the world, the Daimler Chrysler group is necessarily at the forefront of pushing for environmental responsibility. Daimler Chrysler is most concerned, actually, with finding model projects for extracting renewable raw materials, preserving irreplaceable landscapes and fighting poverty while in the process of making what they feel (and what many of use consumers agree) are some of the best cars in the world.

In their search for such renewable raw materials, they came across the locally available abaca. As the Philippines actually supplies 90 percent of world abaca needs, it was only natural. They were especially interested in abaca’s high tensile strength, which has traditionally been helpful in making sturdy fishermen’s nets and heavy duty ropes. After seeing the potential of the locally available material, the people at Daimler Chrysler needed very little convincing.

The Daimler Chrysler Group then went into a public-private partnership with the German Investment and Development Association (DEG) and Hohenheim University to realize its goal of achieving a sustainable cycle of planting abaca bushes while optimizing production processes for abaca fibers. With its inherent characteristics, Leyte’s soil proved to be the most fertile ground for such a project. In no time, they went into a partnership with the University of Leyte and in 2004 launched the Abaca Processing Center at Leyte University. It is here that projects ranging from the selection of sustainable types of plants, improving propagation from cuttings and the development of optimal material mix and other processes are determined and subsequently passed on to the farmers of Leyte.

Armed with ample knowledge on how to optimize their plants and the raw materials that go along with them, the farmers of Leyte have then grown quite prolific in the production of abaca — more so than ever before. The result has done two positive things for the people of Leyte. First, it has made the abaca farming process more efficient and the farmers more able to sustain their livelihood. Second, the natural reforestation process has checked the soil erosion in the area, making it in turn less prone to landslides.

Ah, but wait. Didn’t I say in the beginning of this column that there is a twist to this story that doesn’t seem to make sense? Didn’t I say somewhere along those first few paragraphs that there is a connection between the farmers of Leyte and the Mercedes Benz A-Class? Well, here it is.

By investing in the technological development of abaca farming in the island of Leyte, Daimler Chrysler has indeed done an admirable thing. The bottom line, however, is that the abaca fibers being produced there need to be used for something that will also benefit Daimler Chrysler itself. Which is where the Mercedes Benz A-Class connection comes in. The lining of the spare wheel recess of the A-Class is made up of the said abaca. And, according to officials at Daimler Chrysler, this is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. "We took an important step in the use of abaca in the A-Class. We have now passed the experimental phase and are getting experience in its industrial application. This is important for its use in other (Mercedes Benz) models," said Dr. Michael Inacker, head of politics and external relations at Daimler Chrysler.

While at the moment the modest, barely two-year-old project only assures the local farmers of sustained income, the long-term economic implications of such a move could lead to the improved social and ecological status for the entire province of Leyte as well. The big picture is lost, of course, on the farmers who are only too happy to simply have takers for their products. Many have probably not even heard of Mercedes Benz itself. But it matters little. In a world where there are always at least two sides to the same story, sometimes it doesn’t even matter if one side understands the other. The important thing is that the stories do intertwine and that further down the line, the story will just continue to grow — however nonsensical it all may seem.

Imagine the headlines in the future — "Spare wheel wells of one of the most desired automobiles in the world saves a province in the Philippines". Without the abaca story of today, who will ever find sense in that?

Boy, you guys are relentless! To all who asked for Manny de los Reyes’ "How to Buy a Used Car" column, I hope the emails we sent made it to your mailboxes. We won’t print your requests here anymore, though. These, we will…

Recently, one of my General Grabber tire size 275/60R17 almost exploded. I am now wondering which tire brand to buy. — 09274556558 (We have to admit that we are not very familiar with your tire brand. However, we are quite certain that a number of Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin and Yokohama models have similar sized tires. You might want to shop around tire dealerships that carry these brands.)

What can we do with those motorbikes that wiggle their way left and right? The practice is too dangerous for them and also for us who use cars. — 09178556570

Can you publish the features that made each of the winners of the recently concluded Car of the Year Awards stand out? Thanks. — 09178271055 (Our very own Manny de los Reyes, the Car Awards Group president, is currently working on such an article. Watch out for it.)

Please feature the all new Mazda MX5. Thanks and best regards. — 09178466288 (The Mazda MX5 is a car that might not make it to Philippine shores quite yet. Once it does, we’ll feature it prominently. Until then, there are other venues like glossy car magazines our compatriots in the beat — our columnists in this paper included — churn out for such reads. Speed, Top Gear and C! Magazines are highly recommended.)

Commuters wish this summer is that the DPWH continue and completely finish the re-paving of EDSA. This is only a wish, don’t laugh. — 09178946153 (Ha-ha! Sorry.)

Speak out, be heard and keep those text messages coming in. To say your piece and become a "Backseat Driver", text PHILSTAR<space>FB<space>MOTORING<space>YOUR MESSAGE and send to 2840 if you’re a Globe or Touch Mobile subscriber or 334 if you’re a Smart or Talk ’n Text subscriber or 2840 if you’re a Sun Cellular subscriber. Please keep your messages down to a manageable 160 characters. You may send a series of comments using the same parameters.