Tonight at the Fort

Tonight is the big night for AYPC, the Michelin-Auto Focus Automobile of the Year – People’s Choice Awards for 2005 which we shall hold at the wide open spaces of the Fort.

This culminates three weekends of grand display – the latest automobile models like sedans, SUVs, pick ups, AUVs and even sports cars all at the same time and all in one place – indeed the biggest motoring event of the year. Michelin, our event sponsor, joins us together with Smart in inviting all motoring enthusiasts to join us in a grand celebration when the final winners are tallied and proclaimed in tonight’s awarding ceremonies.

The Fort will be transformed into partying grounds as we have invited the Icebox to provide lively music from late afternoon to the start of the awarding and even right after. Of course, all the automobiles will still be there for viewing and test driving on this, the last day of the search for the 2005 Automobile of the Year – People’s Choice. Our friends from all the carmakers represented in this grand event have been calling to relay one good news after another – their sales have been mounting over the past two weekends, and their sales people had their hands full in coping with the tremendous volume of inquiries about their models. The interest generated, not only for the various vehicle models but for the other products such as tires, batteries, ATVs (All-terrain vehicles) etc, augurs well for the industry. All of us share a common sentiment and that is to propel the industry to even greater heights.

At tonight’s proclamation, it is the people’s choice that will be heard. As such, the consumer takes into consideration a lot of factors in his choices – taste, his transport needs and requirements and budget. We have eliminated the factor of injecting our own personal choices, which is why the awards are termed "People’s Choice". As a responsible motoring journalist, I have taken pains to be objective in my reportorial tasks to bring to fore what the public needs to know about a certain model. A consumer with a buffet of educated choices will be better equipped to ultimately take his pick.

This is the first award of its kind in the Philippines, where the pulse of the people is brought into fore by text voting to determine the most popular vehicles in the country and the one that tops them all and we intend to make it an annual tradition in all the years to come. The healthy, sporting competition that we hope to establish among all the big and small players in the industry should forge a more pro-active participation among everyone, a positive force that will rule all winners and non-winners. After all the people’s choices have been proclaimed, the big winner is -.... the motoring industry.

Proclamation is set at 7 tonight. We have invited the movers of the industry to present the various awards in the different categories. The country’s "Living legend of motor sports" Pocholo Ramirez shall be one of our award presenters, together with Automobile Association of the Philippines president Gus Lagman, Philippine Star motoring editor, Dong Magsajo, Manila Times motoring editor, Vernon Sarne, Smart Communications post-paid marketing head John John San Agustin, Manila North Tollways Corp. president, Ping de Jesus, MRT-3 Public Information Officer, Mariano Gui (Representing MRT-3 head, Robert Lastimoso, Bolinao Security & Investigation Agency president, Architect Urbano Caasi, Alter Media Solutions (SMC Provider) president Peter Binamira, rising racing star, Tyson Sy, Tiara Commercial general manager, Nilo Luna and Michelin country manager, Riz Dalangin.

The 2005 Auto Focus Automobile of the Year – People’s Choice Awards is presented by Michelin Tires in cooperation with Smart Addict Mobile with media partner, Philippine Star, "the newspaper that you read from cover to cover", with participating sponsors, Manila North Tollways Corp., the MRT-3, Bolinao Security & Investigation Agency, Genuino Water and TV partner Solar Television, radio partner, Mellow Touch 94.7

See you all at the Fort tonight. There will be lively music, fantastic cars, and the great company of all motoring enthusiasts. What more can you ask for?

Poker King Challenge Series 1st Leg Champ

The champion of the 1st leg of the Poker King Challenge Series is, let the drums roll, Mon Galvizon. .

After a grueling elimination round followed by the semis and ultimately the finals, a champion has emerged. The two weekends of poker have elicited a positive response from the country’s poker playing field. Mostly male-dominated, we hope the ladies will not feel too intimidated to face up to the challenge and see action in the next leg of the series which is slated for the 2nd week of June.

This early, immediately after the first leg of the tournament, the 60 slots for the second leg are almost fully taken up. As announced by Poker Club of the Philippines chairman, Rey Gamboa, we would have to close the registration again at exactly sixty participants. We’re trying to explore the possibility though of having two elimination rounds, if only to accommodate the number of poker enthusiasts who have decided to come out of their closets – after all, this is a ‘non-cash wager’ tournament. We still have to hear from Pagcor regarding this prospect.

All the reserves, and there were many of them, were given priority for the second leg, so its easy to see why, this early, we are just about ready to close the registration again for the second leg, with only a few slots left. Even if you don’t get to squeeze in, I suggest that you sign up anyway so you can be given priority in the next leg.

This early we are already contemplating on making a side tournament exclusively for "Texas Hold ‘Em" enthusiasts. No, we don’t intend to mix them up with the on going tournament to determine the Philippine Poker King for 2005. Thatíll be like mixing up tennis and badminton players in one tournament to determine the "Racket King’.

I just have to give credit where credit is due – the very professional way that the men and women of Pagcor have handled the running of our tournament. Indeed they deserve the recognition of being the "ultimate gaming authority in the country". Our thanks to Pagcor chairman Efrain Genuino and PAGCOR president Butch Francisco for their unwavering support for the sport of poker.

Our winners for the first leg: First Place (Poker King) – Mon Galvizon, 2nd palce –Vinson Ang, 3rd Place – Boy Tripon, and they all move on as finalists for the Grand Finals slated in December this year.

Again, Poker is basically not a game of chance but rather of skill and Pinoys have a big chance of excelling in this sport.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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