‘MANY are called. But only a few are chosen.” A cliché? Yes, it is. But a trite adage such as this becomes original, or perhaps even stupendous, when one speaks of it from one unique personal experience—especially when one such incident is weaved with Divine Providence. In an interview conducted by this writer inside the office of Isuzu Gencars Inc. General Manager D. Edgard A. Cabangon, this sort of sobriety was shared by the earnest car-dealership head honcho himself.
“That’s only once in a lifetime! Of course, we will do it,” he said with much fiery enthusiasm, as he recalled the time his father Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, ALC Group of Companies head, which his own company belongs to, told him of Msgr. Soc Villegas’s intent of delegating to them the task of supplying the transport needs of Pope Francis in his 2015 visit, during an inauguration of one of their buildings in Urdaneta, Pangasinan.
Right there and then, the construction of the modern-day Filipino popemobile began. “That was about June last year,” the middle-aged Cabangon followed up. “But it was not until late October when we finally started building it, officially,” he added.
Like in any momentous event in the Philippines, other groups also wanted to play the part of the hero when they got wind of the project. Everybody wanted a piece of the limelight, thus, they built their own versions. Despite this, the humble and generous Cabangon only complied and said: “Let’s still build it. And if it’s meant to be, then it’s really meant to be.”
Fruitful teamwork
With the statue of Mother Mary and the Santo Niño right beside him in his office, he intently relayed to this scribe how his 36-year-old company, together with Almazora Motors Corp., worked day and night for two months to create what they believed would be the perfect vehicle for the pontiff.
“We had to first deconstruct the original double-cab vehicle,” Cabangon shared. “We then rebuilt it with somebody we trusted. We chose to work with them because they do very good work, and they are very good-hearted people.” He added, “Instead of the Isuzu Alterra, here we used the 3.0-liter 4×2 D-Max LS with manual transmission. We added step-boards and leaf springs for a much better ride.
Paraflex, meantime, was the material used for the wind shield of the pickup’s bed.”
“In fact, the ride had ample space that it carried about 11 men, including the Santo Papa, comfortably.”
Meanwhile, in a separate interview done by the Philippines Graphic, Maru Almazora of Almazora Motors said: “The ‘buzz and politics’ were out of the way at that time, since it still remained a top-secret project between Gencars and Almazora Motors. During that time, I felt like it was a prayer. Like a novena.” Her design concept prioritized the pope’s safety, followed by his comfort. From a two-cab into a single cab, the vehicle promised enough space for people to move inside the vehicle.
According to Maru, she had to do online research and view different videos of the pope during his motorcades in other countries, and carefully analyze his movements. This way they were able to come up with measurements customized to his size and function. Details, like the Italian leather woven in a banig pattern for seats and recessed overhead lighting were incorporated—meticulously and seamlessly. Furthermore, unique materials were used. Ash wood and rattan were chosen for the interiors as they exude warmth and comfort.
Some of Almazora’s designs on their buses, which are at par with international automotive manufacturers, were applied to the project.
Excited over the finished product, Maru enthused: “The minute Pope Francis set foot in his popemobile; it came to life, especially with the amazing lighting. It looked like the heavens were shining upon him. Seeing this was the most amazing feeling. I burst into tears.”
A look back
Pope Francis’s visit to the Philippines was the first state and pastoral visit of the Church leader to the country. He is the third pontiff to visit the country after Popes Paul VI and John Paul II. His visit marked the first visit of a pope to the Philippines in the 21st century, since that last one was in 1995.
It will be remembered that the last Filipino-made popemobile was a six-wheeled vehicle that featured a 250-hp Mazda engine; foot plates for the Swiss Royal Guard; and an enclosure protected by 4-inch-thick laminated glass furnished by local car armorer CTK. This was used by the late Pope John Paul II during his World Youth Day visit. The fully armored, bullet-proof vehicle served as a protective shield for the Pope on his way to the Luneta Park, where the Christian gathering drew in around 5 million believers from all over the country.
‘Sedia gestatoria’
The gestatorial chair (sedia gestatoria in Italian, or “chair for carrying”) was a ceremonial throne on which popes were carried on the shoulders of his followers until 1978. This was later replaced by the popemobile.
In modern times, the popemobile is used by the pope during outdoor public appearances.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, many automotive manufacturers have produced especially designed vehicles for the Pope, which is derived from the Greek word for “Father”.
For one, Ford Motor Co. produced a series of cars based on its presidential limousines used in the US.
The popemobile also had versions done by General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and Range Rover, among others.
The pope, as we all know, is deemed as the traditional successor to Saint Peter, to whom Jesus gave the keys of Heaven and the powers of “binding and loosing”, naming him as the “rock” upon which the Church would be built.
Priceless
According to Edgard Cabangon, the opportunity to create the Filipino-made popemobile was unquantifiable. “Indeed, this is priceless,” he said.
In return, Pope Francis, upon personally meeting the vehicle’s creators in a brief encounter inside the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, immediately said: “This is a beautiful car. I like it.” As solemn as he is, his words were like a breath of recognition from the Holy Spirit for not just all their hard work, but for diligent Filipino makers everywhere. In fact, during his visit, the Cabangons’ popemobile was the one most frequently used and actually the vehicle that carried the pope to and from the airport in Villamor Air Base, Pasay City.
With this, the Vatican, together with the Swiss Guards, personally initiated a recent request for the Cabangons to build another one.
“In fact, they were so impressed with it that they want another one to be immediately sent to the Vatican. And this time, they want it in black,” Edgard said. In a Bible passage from Romans 8:28, we learn: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Thus, for the Cabangons and Almazoras, this was it. This was their sole calling: to build a world-quality vehicle that will personally leave the revered pope wanting for more.
Image credits: Alysa Salen