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THE
Christmas rush has started several weeks earlier and the
frenzied shopping spree of Filipinos (although a
majority is still experiencing poverty) is expected to
reach unprecedented heights in the next few days.
Vendors
are lording over the busy streets of Metro Manila once
again and the sidewalks are nowhere to be found,
resulting in continued congestion and traffic in various
thoroughfares. Take the case of Divisioria, Quiapo and
many others—you can hardly walk on the sidewalks anymore
because of the vendors that openly sell their wares.
The
mayors of various cities in the metropolis should be on
top of the situation all the time since traffic does not
pick any time of the day. Even while you are already
sleeping and snoring in your bed at nine in the evening,
heavy traffic in various places of Metro Manila is still
going on. The police are nowhere to be found, so who do
you expect to untangle that messy traffic all the time?
MOTOR
Image Pilipinas virtually started the joyful theme of
Christmas as it launched its all-new Subaru Impreza on
November 22 at One Esplanade in Pasay City with a night
full of pomp and party.
Although
many members of the media had caught a glimpse of the
Hatchback Impreza in the recent 40th Tokyo Motor Show in
Chiba, they were impressed with the pricing scheme of
the three-model cars that are expected to hit Manila by
storm before year-end. The 2.0R Sports manual
transmission is priced at P1.06 million, the automatic
transmission is pegged at P1.14 million while the WRX
2.5 Turbo will start at P1.75 million. The 2.0 are both
equipped with the reliable aluminum 2.0-liter Boxer
Engine with Symmetrical all-wheel drive.
With the
kind of testing it underwent in the various
international rallies, buyers are now eagerly awaiting
to have their hands on the all-new Subaru Impreza, whose
“brand is built around innovative engineering and has
always prided itself on giving drivers the ultimate
driving experience.” Congratulations to Glenn Tan, the
group chief executive of the Motor Image Enterprises,
who was in town to introduce the said cars, and also to
Motor Image Pilipinas bigwigs, such as Nicky Mariano and
Ariel de Jesus! You’ve got another winner there!
ALL the
kids (yes, and that includes my youngest Juan Miguel,
who celebrated his birthday yesterday) would surely love
the ongoing promotion of Shell, which allows motorists
to own their very own Ferrari model cars.
Shell
had recently launched its two-month promo on its 60th
anniversary with Ferrari which, with its two top
drivers—champion Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa—and the
rest of the Formula One Team, is celebrating its victory
in this year’s world championship series. Starting
November 1 to December 31, one need only add P49 for
every purchase of P500 worth of Shell V-Power or Shell
Helix Ultra products to get one of the six Ferrari car
models. You can also join the fun by purchasing P500
worth of Shell Super Premium, Shell Super Unleaded,
Shell Super Unleaded E10, Shell Diesoline Ultra all with
new fuel-economy formula, and Shell Helix (Helix Plus,
Super and Diesel) products, and with P99 you can take
home your very own Ferrari. Shell has developed a set of
six limited-edition Ferrari two-speed cars featuring
Ferrari track and road cars from the past 60 years.
These include the Ferrari Enzo, the F430, the 575
Superamerica, the 360 Spider, the F50 and the Ferrari F1
racer.
“We are
honored to continue our long-standing partnership with
Ferrari and to celebrate it with our loyal Pinoy
motorists. Our heritage with Ferrari has been a key
component in our fuel development, providing millions of
everyday motorists around the world and here in the
Philippines with the driving experience they deserve.
With our promotion, we hope to bring out the kid in all
of us and enjoy these limited-edition Ferrari model cars
this coming holiday season,” said Sammy de Guzman, vice
president for Shell Retail Philippines.
A NEW
car-financing scheme has been introduced in line with
the recent partnership between a new bank and a leading
car manufacturer that can really help many prospective
car buyers.
The
Sterling Bank of Asia recently forged ties with Mazda
for a “no-down payment” financing scheme. Instead of
putting up a 10- percent to 20-percent down payment, one
can deposit the said amount with Sterling Bank of Asia
and avail himself of a zero-interest or low monthly
amortization plan with Mazda while his money in the bank
earns a minimum of 6 percent per annum.
According to Sterling Bank president Lambero Villena,
“As Sterling Bank ventures on an extensive expansion
program in Metro Manila and key provincial cities, we
will also embark on developing innovative products that
offer optimum yield and convenience for its customers.”
Sterling
Bank of Asia is currently one of the Top 10 highest
capitalized thrift banks in the country, is now on its
first year, having started only last March, and will
open 15 branches within its first year of operation. |
