Motoring Today Column: Industry leaders support new moto website

Nov 07, 2018

Industry leaders support new moto website

The Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association (MDPPA), which is mainly composed of the leaders of the local motorcycle industry recently inked its support for www.motomagphilippines.com, the up and coming website that's designed to be exclusively about the motorcycle, its industry and its users and owners.

The motorcycle website is aimed to be an oasis of information about the motorcycle, from the latest models introduced into the local market to a feature-to-feature comparison of all brands and models currently available in the country (up to three bikes at a time) to help buyers make a more informed choice.

Major motorcycle companies shall also have their exclusive pages, which would contain everything they are offering their buyers plus special promos and discounts whenever there are any as well as all their corporate activities, latest technologies, model launches, CSR projects, etc., all in the name of having a well-informed market.

The online magazine is also envisioned via it "moto forum" page to be a liaison between the government and the bike users whenever there are issues and controversies regarding the interpretation and implementation of rules and regulations that affect the country's biking community.

Through the website's "moto tips" page, bike riding safety and bike repair and maintenance instructions and guidelines shall be offered. While the page for "moto fuels and lubes" would contain an array of the most recommended products for bikers' use for their hardworking machines.

For those who adore local motorcycle races being held in the country, an exclusive page shall be allotted for their coverage together with the present line up of moto sports heroes.

Posting the latest news and developments about the motorcycle industry is a given plus a directory of the different motorcycle clubs in the country complete with their officers and even news-worthy club activities.

If you are a biker, www.motomagphilippines.com is "a must" for you to check out. Watch out for it going online very soon.

The motorcycle industry's performance in September

A total of 185,323 motorcycles were registered all over the country in September 2018 as reported by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) through its longtime official I.T. provider STRADCOM.

The top 10 brands registered a total of 181,887 units equivalent to 98.2% of the total figure. While the brands that ranked from #11 to # 25 registered a total of 3,152 units or 1.7% with the rest of the brands registered only .01% of the total number of units registered.

The 10 brands that registered the most number of motorcycle units in the month of September 2018 are the following with their percentage share.

1. Honda 47,397 units 25.6 %

2 . Yamaha 44,270 unis 23.9 %

3. RUSI 26,924 units 14.5 %

4. Kawasaki 18,778 units 10.1 %

5. Suzuki 14,277 units 7.7 %

6. Mitsukoshi 10,132 units 5.4 %

7. Skygo 8,552 units 4.6 %

8. Motorstar 6,598 units 3.5 %

9. MotoPosh 3,620 units 1.9 %

10. Bajaj 1,339 units .07 %

We hope to have the 3^rd Quarter LTO Registration Report next time.

Local auto industry doing bad?

The Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) just concluded it's 7^th staging. And judging from the roaster of participants and their presentations one can't see any hint that the local automotive industry is suffering from an alarming slowdown as some reports would put it.

But if you are or have been a keen observer of the industry, you would say that the report is indeed correct that there is a present slowdown in the sales compared to the industry's performance during the same months last year but incorrect from the point of view of being alarming.

As I made my rounds during the opening day, which was also set aside as the "media's day" (a practice in most if not all motor shows all over the world) talking to most of the industry's top executives, I had to ask the question just to confirm what I believe and what I know, "Is the industry doing badly, as many reports claim? Or am I right to say that the market just made advance purchases last year, which accounted for the huge spike in sales that the entire industry so joyfully experienced?"

As I expected all of them agreed with me. Confirming that the poised implementation of the TRAIN, as it was initially believed and presented before the year ended, made the market "smart up" by doing their car purchases before the TRAIN was implemented believing that car prices would go up across the board, especially in the premium luxury class. Of course, many of you know what actually happened. But the buying spree happened including for cars that were planed to be bought this year-advanced sales.

So the auto market is technically or by definition has slowed down this year but in actuality, most of this year's sales were already made last year-the industry is not really doing bad.

Capisce?

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments:

(Email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com

(Website) www.motoringtoday.ph

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ray Butch Gamboa graduated from the College of Arts and Letters of the University of Sto. Tomas. It was a course that should have been preparatory to a law degree, but the call of broadcasting aborted his plans.

At the age of 16, while still a student, Butch tried his hand at disc jockeying, landing a job at Mareco Broadcasting Network’s AM stations DZBM and DZLM. From there, Butch moved on with his illustrious career as a popular disc jockey, riding the airwaves of Bob Stewart’s middle-of-the-road music at DZXX, and ending his disc jockeying career at ABS-CBN’s DZYL and DZQL.

From there, he stayed on with ABS-CBN, covering live the proceedings at the Manila Stock Exchange and eventually entered into the world of television sales as an account manager for the premier channel of ABS-CBN Channel 2.

In the early 70’s, at the outbreak of Martial Law, Butch was one of the thousands of professionals who woke up jobless when then President Marcos declared the new status of the nation. With the closure of ABS-CBN, Butch ventured into different fields outside of broadcast. He tried his hand and with ease and success at export (Costume jewelry), real estate (brokerage), and restaurants (fast food).

In 1987, after the revolution, with the broadcast industry back to its free state, and with its irresistible call ringing in his ears, Butch made his inevitable comeback and pioneered in a local motoring show, producing Motoring Today on Channel 4 and co-hosting with local motor sports’ living legend Pocholo Ramirez.

After 4 years, he ventured into another pioneering format by producing and hosting Business & Leisure, which was originally aired on ABS-CBN’s Channel 2. The format eventually espoused similar ones in other different channels. But the clones in due course faded away leaving the original staying on airing on Channel 4 and eventually on Shop TV on Sky Cable’s Channel 13.

The following year, the pioneering spirit in Butch spurred him to produce another TV show, Race Weekend, also on Channel 4, covering circuit racing at the Subic International Raceway after the motor sport’s hiatus of 17 years. But when similar shows with duplicated formats sprouted, he decided to give way and ended the program after a year, although still enjoying unparalleled viewership.

In 1998, when the local automotive industry was in a slump, Butch contributed his share to help the ailing industry by producing another popular motoring-related show, this time exclusive to the automobile and its industry—Auto Focus, which became a vehicle for local automotive assemblers and importers to showcase their products and dwell on the industry’s latest technological developments.

In 2003, Butch teamed up with his brother, Rey Gamboa who was a former Shell executive and presently one Philippine Star’s business columnist to co-produce and co-host the TV show Breaking Barriers on Channel 13. It is a talk show that features guests who are in the news and in the middle of controversies. The program ventures to draw deeper insights into current issues to learn how they impact to our daily lives.

Today, Motoring Today on its 28th year of service to the general motoring public still enjoys its unprecedented loyal vierwership nationwide while Auto Focus, after 16 years has firmly established its niche viewership among automobile enthusiasts and on the other hand Business & Leisure is on its 24th year dishing out current business issues and lifestyle features.

Today, aside from writing weekly columns for the Philippine Star (Motoring Today on Wednesdays and Business & Leisure on Saturdays) and executive producer / host of weekly TV shows (Motoring Today, airs Sundays on Solar Sports Channel 70, Business & Leisure, airs Tuesdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13 and Auto Focus airs Thursdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13, Ray Butch Gamboa is currently the Chairman and CEO of Sunshine Television Production and Marketing Services Corp., President of Gamcor Management and Development Corp., Chairman of Asia-Pacific Realty Corporation, President and Chairman of Socio-Communication Foundation for Asia and Founding Chairman of the Society of Phil. Motoring Journalists (SPMJ)