"No-appearance" to disappear

Perhaps one of the many initial official acts of new Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief, Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) assistant secretary Virginia P. Torres is to insure that “non appearance” of vehicles acquiring emission testing certificates prior to registration would be a thing of the past.

Most Public Emission Testing Center (PETs) operators are of the common opinion that the “roundabout” system of having to go thru the LTO’s IT service provider, Stradcom, has provided opportunity for the malpractice to flourish. After several meetings with all parties concerned, the new lady chief, no neophyte in the LTO’s operations with the long years of experience behind her opted to revert back to the tried and tested system, which had the PETs designated IT service providers supplying real time pictures to the LTO of vehicles while in the process of being tested for their emissions prior to release of any certificates of compliance.

I was able to get hold of a copy of the memorandum of instruction (considered as public document) of Asec. Torres to Stradcom dated July 30, 2010 that officially terminated their involvement in the emission testing system, to quote, “As discussed and agreed in our meetings and in view of the numerous issues and concerns to the implementation of the PETC Direct Facility’s testing mode in the live environment, please be informed that MC No. ACL-2009-1170 dated June 23, 2010, re: PETC Direct Facility Implementation is hereby revoked. Hence, you are advised to cease and desist from operating the said facility effective August 9, 2010. Further, you are hereby advised to inform immediately all PETCs directly connected to the said facility to revert to their previous PETC IT Providers to ensure continuous operation.“

This hopefully puts to rest the infighting between the PETs and the LTO’s IT service provider Stradcom (The 10-year contract of which has already expired according to sources inside the LTO) and negates the opportunity for the unscrupulous practice of getting Emission Testing Certificates without the vehicles actually undergoing the required tests.

With this development the PETs are saying that they can now confidently utilize their designated IT providers that have tract records of being stickler to standard accepted systems and procedures that ensure that all vehicles given certificates of testing compliance actually went through the legal requirements.

Indeed a big shot in the arm for our country’s efforts to have cleaner air.

Porsche Panamera widens its market

If you see business tycoon Robert Coyiuto, Jr. constantly smiling nowadays, it’s simply because of the prospect that the benchmark-setting driving excellence that the Porsche Panamera offers can now be enjoyed by a wider market.

PGA Cars, exclusive Philippine distributors of up scale automobile models carrying the Audi and Porsche brands just recently made available to the country’s discerning auto enthusiasts the Panamera V6, which is similarly equipped to the Panamera Turbo but only 60% of its price.

The Panamera V6 boasts of a 3.6-liter V6, 300 hp engine with rear-wheel drive; 7-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungstriebe (PDK) (Porsche Double-Clutch Gearbox). This combination package can make the Panamera V6 accelerate from 0 to 100 km/hour in only 6.3 seconds flat and can reach a top speed of 261 km/hour with a bar-raising 10.8 km per liter consumption or less than 10 liters of fuel for a distance of 100 kilometers.

Robert is very confident that in its ambience and features, the interior of the Panamera V6 offers the same elegance and sporting style already featured in the V8 models considering that it has similarly comfortable seats with electrical adjustment, a four-zone automatic air conditioning featuring separate temperature control and air distribution and Bose surround system incorporating a seven-inch color touch screen and fourteen loudspeakers.

Well, a Panamera is a Panamera even if its 40% less expensive.

Go see it at PGA Cars in EDSA. And as Robert would put it, “Make it ASAP while supply lasts.”

Toyota launches its “flagship minivan”

It is named after the Greek letter “alpha”. It also refers to the brightest star in a constellation. Presently Toyota considers it the brightest star in its minivan lineup. The Alphard was recently introduced by Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMPC) in time with Toyota’s “Tent Anniversary” marking its yearly multi-day special display and sale of all current models at the Le Pavilion, which ended last Sunday.

The Alphard is a 2.4 liter 6-seater minivan with a 167 horsepower engine mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission that runs on a suspension system equipped with MacPherson Strut with Stabilizer in front and a Torsion beam-type rear suspension.

Some of the Alphard’s notable exterior features include projector-type HID headlamps with intelligent Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS). It also has front wipers that are equipped with automatic rain drop-sensing and time adjustable intermittent function, while the rear wiper operates in a down ward motion and is concealed in the rear spoiler when not in use. The doors that open on both sides are equipped with easy closer and power slide structure for easier coning in or going out.

Among the many remarkable interior features that Raymond Rodriguez, TMPC’s young first vice-president for vehicle sales pointed out during the product presentation, which caught my interest were the twin moon roofs designed to enhance passenger riding experience and the Alphard’s front passenger’s seat and second-row seats that are uniquely equipped with power ottomans, for ultimate travel comfort.

Safety considerations don’t seem to be wanting in this new Toyota minivan offering in the Philippine market. Consider driver and passenger airbags, plus airbag for the driver’s knee to include curtain shields and side airbags for full passenger protection.

The Toyota Alphard sells for P2,790,000.00, but you would have to shell out an additional P15,000.00 if you would prefer it in White Pearl color over Silver Metallic or Raven Black.

My words may not do justice to what the Alphard is really all about so why don’t you just drop by any of the Toyota dealerships located all over the country to get a closer look and the all-important test drive.

Young Street Smarts Club School Tour rolls on

It is said to be the world’s biggest high school in terms of population and indeed the seminar/workshop staff of the Social Communications Foundation for Asia (Socio Com) and Sunshine Television (STV) faced a huge audience of road safety-conscious students and teachers numbering more than 600 when they took on the Rizal High School located in Pasig City as part of the 2010 Young Street Smarts Club School Tour.

The road safety teach-in was held at the school’s multi-purpose gym last Friday afternoon, August 6, 2010 with no less than the school’s gracious principal, Dr. Josephine Cruz welcoming the students and urging them to pay very close attention to the seminar because learning from it can very well save their lives in the future.

Despite the sweltering heat due to the school’s grounded air conditioning at the gym that unfortunately conked out right on the day, the students were enthusiastic all throughout the workshop especially when contests were held right after every topic taken up to determine what they have assimilated and retained during the exercise. The presence of DJ Suzy of Magic 89.9, FM radio’s top music station and host of the counterpart road safety educational segment aired weekly on the TV show Motoring Today lent more excitement to the much-awaited school event as she emceed and gave away the contests’ prizes.

The confirmed mixed line up of private and public schools that would benefit from the free seminar/workshop that aims to make students safer and more responsible road users as pedestrians, commuters, bikers or future drivers include the Sitero Francisco High School in Valenzuela, Bulacan on August 20, the Makati Hope Christian School in Chino Roces Ave., Makati on August 24 and the Philippine Cultural High School in Caloocan City on September 2.

The 2010 Young Street Smarts club School Tour is a combined undertaking of Socio Com and STV in cooperation with Mitsubishi Motors Philippines and the Manila North Tollways Corporation, developers and operators of the NLEX in these corporate citizens’ advocacy to promote road safety among the youth.

Voting winners for June

The first monthly draw of names of those who cast their votes for the BDO Auto Loans 2010-11 Auto Focus Automobile of the Year – People’s Choice Awards was held last week and here’s the list of winners and the prizes they have won.

Winners of Free Overnight stay at Vistamar Beach Resort & Hotel

Jayson R. Biadog

Stephen G. Zapanta

Ricky Cantuba

Abel N. Cua

Sonia Moises Santos

Winners of Dinner for 2 at the Sports Den of Valle Verde Country Club

1.Joseph Ian Seranilla

2. Magda Georgetta Resontoc

3. Felipe G. Alba

4. Renee Ayn Ang

Winners of Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards T-Shirts

Ma. Cristina Rios-Molato

Antonio A. Macailao

Lani Ladera Deminay

Mari Gutierrez

Richie Centeno

Mary Grace Giron

Stephen Morelos

Amy J. Arnulfo

Mark Carreon

James Silva

You will all be contacted by mail as to how you can claim your prizes.

The public voting for the year’s most preferred models of SUVs, sedans, AUVs, pick ups, vans and sports cars and the ultimate, the most popular “Automobile of the Year – People’s Choice” is up to September 30. You can cast your votes via ballots that you can find today and every Wednesday on this motoring section of the Philippine Star, which are equivalent to 3 votes each or on the July, August or September issues of Top Gear magazine that earns 5 votes or log on to the voting website www.autofocus.com.ph and see the complete array of all the participating automobile models with their technical specs.

And just like the guys whose names we have above, you can win prizes when you vote.

Happy Motoring!!!

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