5 years on the road with Ur Van, Ur Business

MANILA, Philippines - The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Who would’ve thought five years ago that the Nissan Urvan would be the road mainstay it has been up until now – and for the foreseeable future? More importantly, the van has metamorphosed into so many things for so many people – a private passenger van, a school bus, a delivery vehicle, a shuttle, a mobile business vehicle, etc. Physically, the Urvan has also evolved into an array of variants: a 21-, 18-, 15-seat shuttles, a 12-seat Escapade, an ambulance, a closed van, an Estate, and a closed Estate van. Credit that to the breakthrough “Ur Van, Ur Business” (UVUB) program that Universal Motors Corporation COO Elizabeth Lee – along with her mom Helen – hatched in 2006.

Recently, Universal Motors Corporation celebrated five years of its successful CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiative by looking back at how UVUB has helped so many Filipinos – not only by moving them from points A to B, but by becoming a literal workhorse upon which their means of livelihood have thrived.

Elizabeth Lee, COO of UMC, said in her speech at the activity center of Market! Market! in Taguig City, “I am proud to share with you our success as we celebrate our fifth anniversary. To date, we have helped over 5,600 families and created over 7,000 direct jobs. Further, together with CCT (Center for Community Transformation), we helped build a school – the Magdalena campus, a learning institute in the heart of Pagsanjan, Laguna. It is a TESDA-accredited vocational school that houses underprivileged kids by providing them an opportunity to learn various technical skills through courses such as electrical, building construction, carpentry, plumbing, masonry, among others.”

Presently, UVUB (including the UMC and the entire dealership network) supports 20 scholars in the facility, and continues to donate P1,000 to CCT for every Urvan sold.

UMC says that the program is a first of its kind in the automotive industry – that a vehicle’s marketing and sales are directly tied to poverty alleviation; the Urvan for urban renewal, in a manner of speaking.

The “Ur Van, Ur Business” premise is simple – the Urvan promotes entrepreneurship which, in turn, leads to improved quality of life for Filipinos. UMC says the program “targets individuals who are actively seeking for viable means to supplement their income for a better way of living for them and their families.” It’s about helping people help themselves. Lee says, “We realized we have the capability and the responsibility to position our products not just to sell them but to use it as a vessel to aid, uplift, and support those who have less in life.”

Corollary to Urvan sales are the educational efforts to help our countrymen along in their quest for financial independence and security. UVUB holds seminars and similar activities to impart knowledge that help realize and maximize the use of the Urvan for business.

The UMC dream of a more prosperous Philippines through “Ur Van, Ur Business” marches or, rather, rolls on with the Urvan fast becoming a symbol of industry, independence, and entrepreneurship. True power, after all, is achieved by taking hold of, and securing, our future.