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‘YOU
would be fetched at 6 in the morning, sir.”
That was a text message from Arlan
Reyes, the coolest fellow from Mitsubishi Motors
Philippines (MMP).
“I hope that’d be fine with you, sir?”
“Of course. Thanks a lot,” I texted
Arlan back.
I woke up at 5 the next morning; I was
ready by
5:45.
I got very particular with time ever
since I became a golfer. In golf, you can’t afford to
be late. If you are late by five minutes, you get
penalized two strokes. Beyond five minutes, you get
disqualified.
Danny (Alcantara) arrived 12 minutes
past 6. He was driving a bright red Pajero—the 2008 BK
model.
“Sorry, I’m late, sir,” he said.
“No problem,” I said. “What time are we
supposed to arrive at our appointed date?”
“Seven, sir,” Danny said.
“We have all the time,” I told Danny.
“Let’s stop by Mercury. I need to buy some medicines.
This cough is killing me.”
After I got my meds, we proceeded to
Mitsubishi Balintawak, arriving 15 minutes before 7.
Arlan, Lulu Lavinia and and Jojo
Alcoriza were already there.
“I hope I’m not late?”
“Not at all, sir,” said Arlan. “We are
just waiting for two more guys.”
Arriving ahead of me and already seated
in the Rosa, that Mitsubishi minibus that can
comfortably ride a whole football team, were Brian
Afuang of Manila Times, Beeboy Vargas of Top Gear and
Dino Directo of Manila Standard Today.
After several more guys had arrived,
including Anjo Perez of Manila Bulletin, Ardie Lopez and
Joselu Romualdez of Auto Extreme, Ron and Ronald de los
Reyes (happy birthday, Ron—May 14) of Auto Review, Dong
Magsajo of Philippine Star and James Deakin of C!
Magazine and Philippine Star, we were ready to speed off
for Subic.
We were to take the SCTEx, the brand-new
expressway linking Tarlac and Clark Pampanga to Subic.
SCTEx means Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
The SCTEx is another infrastructure
marvel that cuts travel from Balintawak to Subic by
almost one hour via Nlex. That’s because you bypass
Pampanga towns that are traffic-prone because of a
seemingly endless slew of tricycles crowding the
Pampanga-Bataan highway.
From Balintawak, you exit at Nlex-Dau,
climb up the SCTEx, turn left going toward Olongapo for
your Subic destination.
The only visible town you see afterward
when you traverse SCTEx from Clark to Subic is
Dinalupihan in Bataan.
“It’s practically open space, all you
see are only hills and valleys and not-so-tall,
still-green mountains that it feels like you are in a
different country,” said Lulu L of the breathtaking
scenery.
Listen to Jojo A: “It’s like we are in
America.
A feast for the eyes practically all over.”
Mel Dizon, the durable Mitsubishi
bigwig, was so enamored with SCTEx that he shifted his
cruise control from 120 kph to 100 kph, “To really enjoy
the eye-catching panorama all around the expressway.”
You reach Subic in a breeze as travel
from Edsa-Balintawak to Olongapo is a little close to
only one-hour-and-a-half.
A really great, comfortable ride on one
of the favorite hideaways of many Manilans today. If
just for that, GMA, a.k.a. Ate Glo, deserves applause.
Even if the SCTEx was principally funded by
Japan,
the big chunk of credit goes to the President; after
all, it’s under her watch that this magnificent
expressway had been completed.
After we had hit Subic Yacht Club at
midmorning, steaming brewed coffee and rolls and a
platter of fresh fruits greeted us for snacks.
Froi Dytianquin would soon start the
ball rolling by briefing us about the day’s
program—expounded later by the inimitable Kookie
Ramirez.
But first, a word from Taizo “Pat”
Furuhashi, the jolly EVP of MMP, who extended a warm
welcome to the motoring journalists out to stage a
historic sneak preview-cum-test-drive of the brand-new
Lancer (it will be launched on May 24).
At the Subic racetrack, we pushed to its
seemingly finite limits the ninth-generation Lancer EX,
available this time in three variants but all in 2.0
liter.
I liked the Lancer GT-A (automatic) that
much I test-drove it twice. And so did Botchi Santos of
Top Gear.
“It’s a great ride,” said Botchi, a
picky car buff, of the GT-A (P1.125 million).
The manual GT (manual: P1.018 million)
and the MX (automatic: P990,000) are as great a ride and
they likewise come in handy with their high-tech
paddle-shifters à la Formula One technology.
“I’m glad you all enjoyed Japanese car
technology at its best with our new Lancer EX today,”
said Masahiko Ueki, the MMP president, in his closing
ceremonies speech during dinner at the A Tavola, a
charming restaurant in Subic that dishes out authentic
Italian cuisine.
Of course, we did. But what made Ray
Butch “Elvis” Gamboa’s stint at Subic doubly memorable
was his poker victory on the eve of our departure back
for Manila. For his feat, Froi gave Elvis a microwave
oven.
“Just as I needed,” said Elvis of his
microwave oven. “Perfect as a gift for my wedding
godson tomorrow.” |
