THE bad news is, Volkswagen Philippines might scrap a planned $200-million manufacturing investment in the Philippines if the government doesn’t shape up. This was in the papers this week. Big deal.
JP Orbeta, the tough-talking Volks PHL chieftain, sounded the alarm call in view of the need, according to him, to level the playing field insofar as incentives on the vehicle road map were concerned. He said the suggested policy to extend more aid to companies bringing in completely knocked-down (CKD) units needs more scrutiny. He also scorned on the idea of favoring arriving vehicles that are to be painted on home shores over those that are virtually finished products upon arrival. He said practically all Volks vehicles, when they arrive here, are ready to roll off from showrooms. I don’t know, but JP may have a point there?
If there should be issues on fairness and equality, they should be addressed with urgency. In the first place, what’s keeping our leaders too long to finally present the package to our car companies, whose patience has shrunk to paper-thin?
Time is of the essence here. Isn’t President Aquino in his so-called last two minutes so that it’s about time that the waiting game has got to end?
In view of PHL Volks’ practically valid gripe, I am tempted to cite the case of Ford Philippines again. Didn’t Ford leave its multimillion-peso manufacturing plant here because, one reason is, it apparently got fed up with our government’s procrastinations on the road-map scheme?
Hundreds of workers were displaced as a result, not to mention Ford’s departure caused a black eye on the government efforts to resuscitate overall growth while likewise forcing economic forces to entertain second thoughts about pouring investments.
Awright, JP, keep punching!
Q1 all-time record sales
The good news is auto sales in the first quarter went up by 21.6 percent, an industry all-time high.
It could only mean people are earning more now, a reflection of a robust economy seen to sustain its 6 percent-to-7 percent growth? This is only the first three months and already, sales have broken the 60,000-unit mark as 62,882 units were sold from January to March this year.
This reflected double-digit growth in all vehicle segments, save for AUVs (Asian utility vehicles). Another feather to the cap of my panyero Rommel Gutierrez, the Bee-Gees singing president of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc.
“As we had projected, demand from the business-process outsourcing market has boosted sales in the subcompact segment,” Gutierrez said. “The industry continues to respond with the right product mix and very attractive financing package to meet this demand.”
Commercial vehicles topped the sales figures with 37,831 units sold as compared to last year’s 33,595. Passenger cars sold 25,051 units, up 38.2 percent in the first three months of 2015.
The top 5 sellers saw Toyota (44.2 percent) ahead anew, followed by Mitsubishi (18.8 percent), Ford (8.4 percent), Isuzu (7.9 percent) and Honda (6.3 percent).
“With this terrific trend, we hope to reach, if not break, the 310,000-unit forecast for the year,” Gutierrez said.
Reduced stops at Nlex-SCTEx
Since that infamous 12-hour drive by Senate President Franklin Drilon from Balintawak to Baguio during the Christmas holidays, innovations have not stopped at the North Luzon Expressway-Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
The latest that reaped reams of praise was the one seen during the recent Holy Week exodus, when the old long lines at toll booths had become virtually a thing of the past.
Of course, I doff my hat off to the architects of that now famous “Safe Trip Mo Sagot Ko” scheme.
The main feature of that is the integration of the toll-collection system between Nlex and SCTEx.
A friend of mine said his usual three- to four-hour travel time from Marikina to Concepcion, Tarlac, was back last Holy Week after a harrowing seven-hour crawl last Christmas.
With agreements sealed on February 5 toward this end, toll collections had been merged between the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) and Bases Conversion and Development Authority, accounting for smooth sailing for motorists using the world-class expressways.
Added were numerous pass-through lanes out of regular toll booths, plus discounted Express Cards available at gas stations along the expressway—not to mention a slew of traffic personnel on standby and the immediate stop to road works to maintain a continuous flow of hassle-free traffic.
“This summer, we will even introduce more motorist-friendly innovations to ensure a more enjoyable, safe-laden travel to our choice of vacation spots,” said Rodrigo E. Franco, the president and CEO of MNTC.
Among new structures being readied are new toll plazas at Nlex Dau, Santa Ines and SCTEx Tarlac, while the barriers at Nlex Dau and SCTEx Mabalacat “will have to go.”
Northbound motorists without Easytrip tags will now bypass Dau and those exiting Nlex onward SCTEx will pay their combined toll at SCTEx Mabalacat.
Once the new structures are completed, only two stops from five are needed from Balintawak to Subic, and two from four from Balintawak to Tarlac.
Now we are talking sense, fellas.
PEE STOP. My condolences to Toyota MP’s Jade Sison, whose dearest granny had passed on. Amy de la Cruz-Sison, widow of the late Press Secretary Kuya Jess Sison under the Ramos administration, was the mother of Milen S. de Quiros, Dr. Jesus C. Sison Jr., Amyliza S. Bueza and my good friend Jera.