Oct 17, 2018


Phoenix fuels multi brand test drive fest

The biggest one stop shop of the country's major car manufacturers, importers and distributors will have its Pre Christmas staging on November 15 to 18 at the SM Mall of Asia.

The 4-day auto industry event shall have all the new car models in the market available for the car-buying public to test drive following the mantra, "Test drive it, before you buy it."

Phoenix Petroleum shall be the Presenting Sponsor of the Auto Focus Multi Brand Test Drive Festival, making Phoenix Fuels powered by Pulse Technology its "Official Fuel" for the second time providing all the brand new vehicles for test-drive with a tankful.

"We are participating in theAuto Focus Multi Brand Test Drive Festival as the 'Official Fuel' as we are proud of our latest fuel technology that puts us at par with the fuel offering of our major competitors. It gives your car that enhanced power and acceleration at a price more affordable. We want consumers to experience our premium grade fuels at the price of our competitors' low-grade fuel. That's value for money," remarked Mr.Henry Albert "Bong" Fadullon, COO of Phoenix Petroleum.

During the recent signing of the sponsorship agreement with Sunshine TV, the organizers of the much awaited biannual automobile experience, which started in 2014 and presently considered by the local auto industry as an institutional event, the very dynamic top officer of the country's fastest rising oil company added, "We want to increase awareness and visibility and trial of our Phoenix Pulse Technology amongst the car manufacturers and users. And position ourselves as a credible alternative to the fuel brands they are currently using, they were accustomed to or the fuel brand they grew up with.

And in closing the mild mannered oil executive said, "For those who will test drive, they actually get to experience both the car and fuel performance when they go for the drive."

The major brands that are expected to bring the very best of their model line up include Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Subaru, Suzuki, SsangYong and Toyota.

This early Phoenix Petroleum are extending their invitation to all those who would test drive at the SM Mall of Asia to come to the Phoenix Fuels Lounge for exciting contests with valuable prizes and giveaways.

All for motorists' convenience

For the purpose of ensuring the least of inconvenience to motorists during these times of seemingly unending construction of road infrastructure to further improved the populace's mobility, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) recently released a statement saying that it is working closely with Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPIC) to find ways to manage traffic flow on the conglomerate's South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and Skyway System, both of which will be heavily affected by MPIC's C-5 South Link Expressway project.

MPIC, through its unit Cavite Infrastructure Corp. (CIC), is the concession holder for the 7.7-kilometer, six-laneC-5 South Link Expressway that will connect C-5 to the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Cavitex). And as Cavitex starts work to launch girders that will cross the at-grade portion of SMC's Skyway and SLEX, SMC said it expects higher traffic build-up on its expressways.

"We have offered assistance to MPIC to make sure its project gets delivered on time to minimize inconvenience and provide the full benefits of C-5 Southlink to our motorists in the soonest possible time. We recognize and support government's objective to develop a more expansive network of roads of which this new construction is part of," SMC president and COO Ramon S. Ang said in the same staement.

Initially, SMC, through its infrastructure unit SMC Tollways, has implemented a stop-and-go scheme that started October 6 till November 15 from11 p.m. to 4 a.m at Nichols Toll Plaza, C5 (at-grade) and Skyway Elevated segment between Magallanes and Bicutan in order to manage traffic in the area.

SMC apologizes for the temporary inconvenience, even as it advised motorists to plan their trips ahead during the period.

Competitors working together for the common good-laudable.

Way to go, Albert

Thursday, October 11 was a killer of a day for me, what with 3 events of almost equal importance all happening at the same time.

There was the briefing for all the participants of the up and coming Auto Focus Multi Brand Test Fest, which I wrote about earlier. There was this previously cancelled on cam interview with LTO head, Asec. Edgar Galvante for an update of the latest rules and regulations regarding motoring and there was the official announcement of my good friend,Atty. Albert Arcilla, president of The Car Covenant Car Company (TCCCI) regarding their recent appointment as the official distributor of the MG brand in the country.

Knowing that the meeting with the Test Fest participants would be ably handled by my longtime partner in the event, Gerry Aquino together with STV's longer time VP for Production, Jenny Bleza and with the assumption that my longtime friend, Albert would consider that the motoring public's concerns would always prevail over the auto industry's, which it also holds in high respect, besides I sent the best team to cover the TCCCI event so I opted to have the on cam interview with the kind gentleman, Assistant Secretary Galvante.

I shall dwell on that very engaging on cam conversation in a future column. But for now we have the statement of the TCCCI president released during the brand's launching, which says, "The Covenant Car Company is optimistic thatFilipinos will positively respond to MG's new global products. It is honored to be the official distributor of MG in the Philippines, and is very excited to provide the market with new options, with an aggressive model line up and favorable offers, as it acknowledges the market's discerning preferences,"

Well, I guess Albert and his team hit the ground running as I found out that very soon in this quarter MG Philippines will offer 3 new vehicles, namely the ZS, the RX6 and the MG6.

Looking forward, Attorney Arcilla and congratulations.

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments:

(Email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com (Web) www.motoringtoday.ph

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ray Butch Gamboa graduated from the College of Arts and Letters of the University of Sto. Tomas. It was a course that should have been preparatory to a law degree, but the call of broadcasting aborted his plans.

At the age of 16, while still a student, Butch tried his hand at disc jockeying, landing a job at Mareco Broadcasting Network’s AM stations DZBM and DZLM. From there, Butch moved on with his illustrious career as a popular disc jockey, riding the airwaves of Bob Stewart’s middle-of-the-road music at DZXX, and ending his disc jockeying career at ABS-CBN’s DZYL and DZQL.

From there, he stayed on with ABS-CBN, covering live the proceedings at the Manila Stock Exchange and eventually entered into the world of television sales as an account manager for the premier channel of ABS-CBN Channel 2.

In the early 70’s, at the outbreak of Martial Law, Butch was one of the thousands of professionals who woke up jobless when then President Marcos declared the new status of the nation. With the closure of ABS-CBN, Butch ventured into different fields outside of broadcast. He tried his hand and with ease and success at export (Costume jewelry), real estate (brokerage), and restaurants (fast food).

In 1987, after the revolution, with the broadcast industry back to its free state, and with its irresistible call ringing in his ears, Butch made his inevitable comeback and pioneered in a local motoring show, producing Motoring Today on Channel 4 and co-hosting with local motor sports’ living legend Pocholo Ramirez.

After 4 years, he ventured into another pioneering format by producing and hosting Business & Leisure, which was originally aired on ABS-CBN’s Channel 2. The format eventually espoused similar ones in other different channels. But the clones in due course faded away leaving the original staying on airing on Channel 4 and eventually on Shop TV on Sky Cable’s Channel 13.

The following year, the pioneering spirit in Butch spurred him to produce another TV show, Race Weekend, also on Channel 4, covering circuit racing at the Subic International Raceway after the motor sport’s hiatus of 17 years. But when similar shows with duplicated formats sprouted, he decided to give way and ended the program after a year, although still enjoying unparalleled viewership.

In 1998, when the local automotive industry was in a slump, Butch contributed his share to help the ailing industry by producing another popular motoring-related show, this time exclusive to the automobile and its industry—Auto Focus, which became a vehicle for local automotive assemblers and importers to showcase their products and dwell on the industry’s latest technological developments.

In 2003, Butch teamed up with his brother, Rey Gamboa who was a former Shell executive and presently one Philippine Star’s business columnist to co-produce and co-host the TV show Breaking Barriers on Channel 13. It is a talk show that features guests who are in the news and in the middle of controversies. The program ventures to draw deeper insights into current issues to learn how they impact to our daily lives.

Today, Motoring Today on its 28th year of service to the general motoring public still enjoys its unprecedented loyal vierwership nationwide while Auto Focus, after 16 years has firmly established its niche viewership among automobile enthusiasts and on the other hand Business & Leisure is on its 24th year dishing out current business issues and lifestyle features.

Today, aside from writing weekly columns for the Philippine Star (Motoring Today on Wednesdays and Business & Leisure on Saturdays) and executive producer / host of weekly TV shows (Motoring Today, airs Sundays on Solar Sports Channel 70, Business & Leisure, airs Tuesdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13 and Auto Focus airs Thursdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13, Ray Butch Gamboa is currently the Chairman and CEO of Sunshine Television Production and Marketing Services Corp., President of Gamcor Management and Development Corp., Chairman of Asia-Pacific Realty Corporation, President and Chairman of Socio-Communication Foundation for Asia and Founding Chairman of the Society of Phil. Motoring Journalists (SPMJ)