Long-delayed nationwide implementation

I had a short chat with Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. last Monday at, of all places, the locker room of the Palms Country Club after our individual gym sessions. Our chat centered on his authored bill, which is now a law of the land – the legally-mandated required use of helmets while riding motorcycles.

I inquired about the reason for the long-delayed nationwide implementation of his “helmet law”, which would undoubtedly reduce injuries and deaths of motorcycle riders who figure in accidents. And as in many other approved bills, I found out that the delay is caused by the absence of the law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations or IRR. And I guess the formulation of these IRR falls under the jurisdiction of the Land Transportation Office or the LTO.

We both noted, though, that in Metro Manila, the existence and strict implementation of local ordinances banning motorcycle riding sans the use of helmets have visibly discouraged many motorcyclists from gambling their lives and limb by riding helmet-less. But it’s not so in the provinces, as the senator has observed. People still wantonly ride motorbikes and other similar modes of transport where passengers are exposed instead of being safely confined, without any head protection whatsoever.

I had to mention to him though that my pet peeve really and truly is seeing persons of authority, like policemen, soldiers and even SWAT members riding motorbikes carefree without helmets, as if saying that they are above the law. Like I have mentioned several times past columns, these “special lawbreakers” should have “special sanctions” like for the first offence a long suspension without pay and for a second offence, outright dismissal from the service by visibly and deliberately breaking a law that they themselves should strictly implement. But Senator Bong assured me that his law already has such a provision.

Let’s all hope that the LTO gets on the job of issuing the “helmet law’s” IRR soonest to serve as the legal guide to all law enforcers in its enforcement and pray that the said law would not meet the same fate as that of Senator Tito Sotto’s “seatbelt law”, which is now a farce in most parts of the country especially in the provinces simply because the local police authorities don’t seem to care about its strict implementation.

Accidents involving motorcycles are mounting, a daily fare on newspapers and TV news programs, many of them, I was informed involving motorcyclists that have had one too many. Riding with helmets is no assurance of defying death or serious head injuries after an accident, but I can assure you that hitting your unprotected head with something hard, like the pavement, at the very, very least can give you a super headache.

Isuzu has a new market offering

Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) invited the motoring media the other week, July 29 to be precise, for the launch of its latest offering to the market. It’s called the Isuzu NHRw/i-VAN, a corroboration with Centro Manufacturing Corporation (CMC), the first ISO-certified Filipino truck body builder.

I failed to come for the well-attended event at the Makati Shangri-La due to an unexpected prolonged jet lag after a two-week trip abroad and excruciatingly painful leg cramps the night before but I remember our good friend Art Balmadrid, IPC senior VP showing me the highly functional vehicle in a recent Isuzu Truck Show held at the World Trade Center, which featured the other remarkable truck models being offered to the commercial sector of the country’s automotive market.

During the launch it was heralded that IPC/CMC partnership ingeniously married the best-selling Isuzu N-Series light-duty truck to the Centro-developed i-Van into a more versatile, more functional tool for any service-oriented business application like passenger van, cargo van, school bus, ambulance, etc.

Some of its features include; space for 12 or 16 or even 18 full-sized adults and can even accommodate 1.5 tons of cargo, a powerful Euro compliant 2.8 liter direct-injection 4JB1-TC with intercooler diesel engine with 91 ps power and 20.0 kg-m of torque, smooth 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive and a passenger-friendly ride courtesy of a further-improved flex-ride suspension, to mention a few on the technical side.

There’s indeed a litany of other features that the Isuzu NHRw/i-VAN can offer but then why don’t you just see it for yourself in any of the Isuzu dealerships located nationwide and see and decide for yourself if it is a good van or a great van?

Congratulations to IPC – Mr. Ryoji Yamazaki, president, Mr. Takashi Tomita, EVP and Mr. Art Balmadrid, senior vice president for a highly successful launch.

BMW’s first high-performance compact

Imagine yourself driving a 2-door, 4-seater compact automobile that can zoom from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and can reach the 200 km/h mark in merely 17.3 seconds.

On second thought, you don’t have to imagine. Just go to your nearest BMW showroom to take a look and test drive the latest offering of Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW in the country – the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, the first ever high-performance model in the compact segment of BMW M GmbH.

Recently launched at the Rockwell Tent, a prestigious event that I also missed the other week, in the evening of July 29 for the same reason that I missed the Isuzu event on the same day, but which retired ACC president Bobby Rosales said was due more to age than my jet lag, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe was described thereat as an automobile that symbolizes outstanding power delivery and the highly dynamic driving properties of a high-performance sports car, combined with the agility and lightness of a compact model to create a whole new dimension of sports-style driving pleasure. It was also said that with this 2-door model, BMW M GmbH is now realizing for the first time in this vehicle class its concept of racing-oriented performance characteristics in a car developed for everyday use.

Some of the outstanding technical attributes include an in-line 6-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo and petrol direct injection with a maximum output of 250 kW/340 bhp, maximum torque of 450 newton meters at as little as 1,500 rpm, a power-to-weight ratio reduced to 4.4 kilograms per bhp, average fuel consumption of 9.6 liters per 100 kilometers, to name a very few.

ACC’s lovely lady president, Maricar Parco was quoted as saying, “The BMW 1 Series M Coupe further extends BMW M GmbH’s model range, paving the way for younger target groups to be able to access the hallmark driving experience offered by an M car.”

Congratulations to ACC for another impressive auto launch.

PGA’s newest showroom

It’s a dream address for any high-end vehicle showroom – the Bonifacio Global City and PGA Cars, authorized importers and distributors of luxury brands Audi, Porsche and very soon to come to the country, Lamborghini, recently opened its 3rd Audi dealership next to Audi Alabang and the original Audi Greenhills.

“The inauguration of our 3rd showroom is an affirmation of how far PGA Cars has come. It represents all of the hard work and dedication that the men and women of PGA Cars have put in and honors the success of our continuing partnership with Audi,” said PGA Cars/Audi Managing Director, Benedicto Coyiuto, in his welcome address to all the guests present.

The occasion was also held in conjunction with the launch of the latest model of Audi’s mid-sized luxury sedan, the A6. Audi’s Supervising Executive and Director for Asia, Martin Birkner, spoke of some of the notable features of the A6 before the vehicle was unveiled to applause from the packed showroom, “We used aluminum comprehensively in the construction of the A6 in order to reduce the weight of the vehicle by 15%. This makes the A6 the exception to the rule that the newer generation is always bigger and heavier than the last”.

Right before the wraps were taken off the Audi A6, business tycoon and PGA Cars Chairman Robert Coyiuto, Jr. took the stage and declared, “I’d like to celebrate the launch of our new showroom with this small token to Don Bosco” before revealing the “small token” of Ten Million peso donation from the Coyiuto Foundation to Don Bosco Technical Institute (DBTI). DBTI operates Don Bosco Manpower and Skills Training Center, which trains underprivileged out-of-school youth in various technical skills, allowing them to pursue full and rewarding careers.

PGA Cars is reportedly currently the largest-selling importer-distributor of high-end vehicles in the country.

Congratulations are in order to PGA Cars and the Coyuitos – Robert, Jr., Benedicto and Robert III.

Voting resumes

The voting website for the 2011 Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards, presented by BDO Auto Loan in cooperation with Caltex with Techron, Air21 and media partner The Philippine STAR with major sponsors Vistamar Beach Resort and Hotel and AGC went down for a few days due to some glitches that had to be taken cared of but is now again up for everyone to cast their votes for their most preferred models in each automobile category and what they consider as the 2011-2012 Automobile of the Year—People’s Choice.

Happy Motoring!!!

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