Motoring Today Column

Nov 18, 2020

It took a bit of time but winners of the 4th Driven to Serve Awards of the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists (SPMJ) are finally known.

The Driven to Serve Awards recognizes outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects of the local automotive industry in the field ofcommunity development, environment protection, education, and road safety.

The SPMJ started the awards to encourage automotive companies to further improve on their existing CSR efforts and for others to follow suit with their own.

A total of 16 CSR from nine auto manufacturers/distributors were evaluated for the fourth iteration of the awards Participating in this year's awards were Ford, Hyundai, Maxus, Nissan, Toyota , Honda, Suzuki, Volkswagen, and Isuzu.

Driven to Serve Judging Day was held back February and the 4th Driven To Serve Awarding Ceremonies were supposed to be held at the end of March.

We all know Covid-19 pandemic intervened and put on hold most everything.

Now before the year ends, the SPMJ wants to honor and recognize the winners of the 4th Driven Serve Awards.

Awardees in the Community Development Category are:

1. Platinum-Rainwater Harvesting Facility System Expansion (Hyundai Philippines);

2. Gold-Alagang Breastfriend (#AlagangBFF) (Hyundai Philippines);

3. Silver-TMP Foundation Breast Cancer Awareness Project (Toyota Motor Philippines);

4. Silver-Building Healthy Communities (Ford Philippines);

5. Bronze-Partnership with Habitat for Humanity for Volunteer House Painting (Nissan Philippines);

6. Bronze-Maxus V80 Flex Ambulance Donation to Ospital ng Tondo (Maxus Philippines).

Awardees in the Education Category are:

1. Platinum-Hyundai Dream Centre Philippines (HDCP) (Hyundai Philippines);

2. Gold-Ford Automotive Technician Scholarship Program (Ford Philippines);

3. Gold-TMP Foundation Vegetable Project (Toyota Motor Philippines);

4. Gold-Isuzu - JZGMSAT Automotive Servicing Partnership (Isuzu Philippines);

Awardees in the Environment Category are:

1. Gold-Start Your Impossible: National Coastal Clean-up and Mangrove-Planting Day (Toyota Motor Philippines);

2. Gold-Forest For Life Movement (Honda Cars Philippines).

Awardees in the Road Safety Category are:

1. Gold-Driving Skills For Life (DSFL) (Ford Philippines);

2. Silver-Teen Smart (Road Safety for Teens) (Honda Cars Philippines);

3. Silver-Suzuki Safety Scouts (Suzuki Philippines);

4. Silver-Volkswagen Child Safety Initiative Campaign (Volkswagen Philippines).

During the simple awarding ceremonies, the SPMJ acknowledged the support of the sponsors, including NLEX Corporation, the Association of Vehicle Importers & Distributor (AVID), Petron Corporation .

SPMJ also wishes to acknowledge and thank the personages who participated as judges in the 4th Driven To Serve Awards. They are the following:

1. Atty. Romulo Quimbo Jr., Senior VP-Communications and Stakeholders Management, NLEX Corporation;

2. Sergio Ortiz-Luis, Jr., Honorary Chairman & Treasurer, Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry;

3. Linus Canamo, National Sales Manager, Clorox International Philippines, Inc;

4. Charmaine V. Canillas, General Manager, Petron Foundation;

5. Ma. Belen M. Fernando, President & Board of Director, Magna Anima Teachers College, Inc.; and,

6. Catherine Marie C. Cabrillos, Manager, First Philippine Holdings Corporation.

SPMJ also noted that 2020 is a difficult year for the auto industry but it has seen CSR efforts beginning even in the Taal Volcano explosion and then continuing with the pandemic.

So SPMJ is now looking forward to the entries that it will receive for the upcoming 2021 Driven to Serve Awards.

Changan Challenge

There's a new challenger in town. Will this new challenger from China make a difference in the market?

Even amid the pandemic, Changan Motor Philippines, Inc. (CMPI) announced the entry of five new models of cars from Changan, the fourth-biggest automotive brand in China.

CMPI launched five new models to compete in five segments, the Alsvin subcompact sedan, the CS35 Plus subcompact SUV , the CS75 Plus compact SUV, theCS95 seven-seater mid-size SUV, and the Eado EV460 electric vehicle.

CMPI says all these models boast features unique in respective segments and all are wired for connectivity.

Explaining why it is entering market during a severe economic slowdown caused by the pandemic, CMPI president and CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said: "Many have asked why we are launching a new brand in this challenging environment. The answer is simple. As an industry veteran of 20 years, I strongly believe Changan is a promising brand, a challenger brand with vehicles and services that will excite the Philippine market at this most unexpected time."

"I am also a believer in offering Filipinos a wider range of product options, and Changan vehicles have that winning combination of intelligent features, trend-setting designs, extensive safety features, and outstanding engine performance," Ms. Agudo added.

In a press statement, CMPI said Changan Automobile is one of the Top 4 Chinese automakers with 37 years of experience in auto manufacturing and with a strong presence in theMiddle East, South America, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. It sold 1.3-million vehicles worldwide in 2019.

Montero Sales Surge

The Montero Sport is driving the surge in sales of Mitsubishi vehicles in the final quarter of the year which only shows a trend for greater preference for SUVs, MPVs and crossovers.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) said that it sold 533 units of the Montero Sport in October, a 232 percent increase over sales in September.

In a press statement, Mutsuhiro Oshikiri, MMPC president and CEO said: "The strong October performance of the Montero Sport shows it remains to be a much sought-after model in the Mitsubishi lineup."

"The Montero Sport's popularity with Filipinos is undeniable as it continues to provide genuine all-road performance while being stylishly modern. Its long list of advanced features and amenities likewise contribute to the Montero Sport's reputation of being a reliable and convenient partner in the Filipinos' everyday lives," Oshikiri added.

Motorcycle Taxis

Things should be looking good for the thousands of partner/riders of motorcycle taxi ride-hailing app service operators. And also for commuters who prefer the convenience offered by motorcycle taxis.

The IATF has issued guidelines for the resumption of motorcycle taxi operations as part of the continuation of the pilot study ordered by Congress to be used for a law regulating this mode of public transport.

Motorcycle taxis under Angkas, Joyride, and Move-It should be back on the road soon.

But there are few vital adjustments that commuters need to be aware of that are required to comply with community quarantine health protocols.

These include the need for would-be motorcycle passengers to bring along and use their own full-face helmets. Also important is that payment for motorcycle rides can only be made through the app.

The latter should be easier than the former for compliance.

Then there is the need to flll out health declaration forms through the app as part of the booking process which may be in violation of data privacy laws. This may need a second look or tweaking.

Still many including motorcycle taxi riders and commuters are praying this mode of transport resumes as soon as safely possible.

Happy Motoring!!!

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