Everybody was having a grand time last Thursday, November 4th during the cocktails that marked the opening of the 6th staging of the Auto Focus Motor Show and Auto Expo, presented this year by BDO Auto Loan.
All the stakeholders were present – the executives and associates of all the participating automobile manufacturers, importers and distributors, the sponsors and of course our peers from the closely-knit local motoring media. Pica-pica food catered by the Congo Grill was to everyone’s liking, which was further enhanced by unsolicited but very much welcomed and appreciated event offerings of two Lechons, the Pinoy’s fiesta staple courtesy of Rommel Sytin of Foton Motor Philippines and Robert Coyiuto, Jr. of PGA Cars with its executive director Nick Lagmay and public affairs director Amado del Rosario bringing two bottles of Black Label to add to the cabernet sauvignon wine bottles sent by Columbian Autocar’s indefatigable president Felix Mabilog, Jr. for good measure.
And for an ensured lovely, music-filled evening we brought in RJ, no not the guy who plays a lot of oldies, but RJ, the talented visually-challenged “one-man-band” musician whose repertoire is a smorgasbord of hits that span from Elvis of the fifties to Lady Gaga of the present times. The guy, who I first heard during a party hosted by Lexus-Manila president Danny “Sir John” Isla during his birthday sometime back really brought the house down right from his first number.
Now, such musical ruckus cannot be complete without James Deakin of C! Magazine, belting a song or two. Being the host, I made the kind request and although hesitant and near to refusing, he finally decided to oblige, highly motivated probably by my friendly stare. Although James was on the wagon, not wanting to drink to maintain his high “ranking” in the motoring beat’s own version of the “biggest loser” contest, he started reaching out for the glasses of Black Label gamely offered and encouraged by Jeff Reyes of The Philippine STAR, who’s also competing for the weight loss. But hesitant as he was at the beginning, the contagious musical aura of RJ made James, who was first tentative to surrender to my request, became adamant later on about not surrendering the microphone.
As the mike-tugging went on between James and Ira Panganiban of Business-Mirror, the usual suspects in the Sports Den’s “all in” session lead by Andy Sevilla of Express Life were clamoring to get the cards and the chips on the poker table that I purposely brought to the site. To keep peace during the cocktails (peace meaning civil silence) I convinced Ira to let go of the microphone and just play Texas Hold‘em, which we did together with Glen Dasig of Ford Group Philippines, Jeff of The STAR, Vince Pornelos of STV and Autoindustriya, Froy Dytianquin of Mitsubishi Motors, “Sir John” of Lexus-Manila, Sherwin Chualim of Toyota Motor Philippines, Nick Lagmay of PGA Cars and my brother and fellow Philippine STAR columnist (Biz Links), Rey Gamboa. When I learned that Tony Peña, the marketing and management whiz of BDO Auto Loan doesn’t play poker or gamble at all, I said, “Good. It’s time you enroll.” This line didn’t work either for the debonair STAR motoring editor Dong Magsajo who wasn’t pleased to see RJ come as a one man band armed with a complete electronic keyboard that doesn’t come with a “live” set of drums to engage in his other passion aside from churning out great motoring articles and stories every week in The Philippine STAR’s eagerly awaited and much-read motoring section.
Now, I shall not mention who won and who lost in the game because we were just playing with chips, just chips and the results (win or loss) were probably not reported to their respective commanders-in-chief at home. But the evening to mark the opening and kick-off the event was indeed what we wanted it to be – casual, informal, come as you are and be what you want to be – great fun.
Those present, especially the exhibitors were all praise for the venue’s layout of the display tents (so far the biggest outdoor motor show in the country and intends to stay that way) and the venue itself with the entire grounds brick-paved, smoother compared to bare earth for an all-weather surface plus the advantage of a almost built-in audience of “mallers” who come daily by the thousands to the SM Mall of Asia.
But then the next day, Friday, the second day of the 4-day motor show that’s billed as the “biggest outdoor motor show in the country” with almost a hundred brand-new automobiles on display and for test drive, was a drenched, tent-poked parking lot with more cars than people. The reason? The “cats and dogs” came early morning from the skies and in torrents, which continued to the afternoon and even early morning.
I was stressed and embarrassed despite the fact that it was an AOG, which nobody can control. I can only organize and design an event to conveniently make the suppliers of goods (automobiles) and their buyers conveniently and comfortably meet at the best place and the right time – but I can’t stop the rains.
While in this state, I heard the always assuring voice of Timmy De Leon of Isuzu Philippines gently asking, “Sir, nag offer po ba kayo ng itlog sa Sta. Clara? We at Isuzu would always offer eggs to the convent whenever we have events and it has never failed us.”
So, Saturday early morning, my ever-efficient vp for production, Jenny Bleza was knocking at the gates of the Sta. Clara Convent with two big trays of eggs – “For the two remaining days” said Jen when she called to tell me about it. Awaken from my sleep, after a long night of prayers for a sunny Saturday and Sunday, I blurted out, “When it works and I know and I have the faith that it will, make that two big trucks instead of two big trays.”
Saturday was sunny and Sunday morning, Jen was with two big trays at the convent again (she didn’t believe I really meant two big trucks) and Sunday was even sunnier.
Yes Virginia, there is absolutely a GOD.
Thank you, LORD.
Foton Philippines’ Media get together
The guys from Foton Motors Philippines lead by its very young president Rommel Sytin and his dynamic marketing guys, Eric Domingo, marketing manager and Jam Santiano, dealer development manager invited motoring journalists and some of the dealers for a casual get-together at the Wine Bar of the Chateau 1771 last Friday, October 29.
The occasion was also an opportunity for them to introduce to those present during the informal cocktail-dinner Mr. Li Xing Xing, managing director of the Truck Sales Company of Foton Motor Co., LTD, who gamely went around and offered each table toast after toast, which they called “the Chinese way” (bottoms up with not a drop left).
Rommel’s team is really showing a lot of dynamism with its recent official entry into the Philippine market. Aside from making sure that they would be a part of the just concluded biggest outdoor motor show, the Auto Focus Motor Show and Auto Expo (the only Chinese brand that was able to participate by luckily getting the last slot available), they were also one of the most active in promoting their brand within the exhibit area, with a lot of dancing and singing and prizes too at the Concert Grounds of the SM Mall of Asia all throughout the 4-day motor show.
A beeline to Kia’s display tent
Aside from the remarkable line up of Kia models that Columbian Autocar displayed at the 4-day Auto Focus Motor Show and Auto Expo, the possibility of going to Australia and watch the Australian Open with all expenses paid plus a host of other prizes like an expensive top of the line lap top and lots of cellphones produced a long line of auto enthusiasts straight to the Kia display area.
All one had to do was test drive any Kia model and they stood the chance of having their name drawn to win prizes.
Auto industry veteran and Columbian Autocar president Mr. Felix Mabilog picked the winning names last Sunday evening right inside the STV Lounge. And here are the winners: Samsung Cellular Phones-Kim Capulong, Maricel Flores, Marlon Dacumos, Dr. Lulu Marquez, Sweety Mamauas, Richard Loredo, Pablum Pagtakhan, Arnold Alabastro, Rolando De Guzman, Jaime Castro, Jose Jabines, Anna Damasco, Dr. Romulo Noche, Carlos Castaneda IV, Ferdie Saputil, Robert Gomez, Rosalee Bacero. HP Mini Laptop-Ronald Cecilia. Trip for 2 to Australia-Ma. Cecilia J. Laforteza
Congratulations to all winners and get in touch with the good guys from Columbian Autocar to claim your prizes.
Happy Motoring!!!
For comments: (email) motoringtoday-star@stv.com.ph.