Many roads, one destination

Notes on the beat

DAANBANTAYAN, Cebu – Over 200 kilometers from Mactan to this municipality at the northern tip of Cebu –  and back – I got a firsthand look at how Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) is advancing its multi-pathway strategy toward cleaner mobility.

Toyota, the world’s largest automotive company, unveiled its so-called multi-pathway approach in 2023, but I only understood it better at the Japan Mobility Show 2025 held in Tokyo in October last year. In Toyota’s words, its multi-pathway strategy is built on the principle that a mix of powertrain technologies, rather than a single solution, can address the diverse mobility needs of people.

Multi-pathway may sound complicated and to the uninitiated, it may actually be, but at TMP’s Road Trek 19, which commenced Thursday last week here in the province of Cebu, TMP’s approach toward the future of mobility became visible as its lineup of vehicles in the annual driving activity roared to life.

A wide array of Toyota and Lexus models – from internal combustion vehicles to electrified models – set off on a mobility showcase that, as is usually the case with Road Trek, also put the spotlight on the Philippines’ beautiful destinations, from hidden treasures to well-known attractions.

This year’s drive took participants to this municipality of Daanbantayan, north of Cebu, which is bounded by the Visayan Sea, Bantayan Island, the Camotes Sea and the town of Medellin.

The drive, three to four hours in all with stops in between, commenced at the Toyota Danao Service Center.

It was scenic and breathtaking as we drove past sprawling green fields as far as the eye could see, coastal towns showing vignettes of daily life and the blue waters of the Visayan Sea that glistened under the scorching sun.

The future of mobility

Yet, it was also so much more than a driving activity.

It was primarily a moving and living journey toward the future of mobility, as Toyota has been busily shaping it.

Basically, a multi-pathway approach means offering customers more diverse options toward carbon neutrality: common internal combustion engine vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), battery electric vehicles and more.

Beyond Zero

TMP president Masando Hashimoto captured it well at the start of the year when he said that it is about enabling customers to choose from four vehicle types – gasoline, diesel, hybrid electric and battery electric vehicles – to be their mobility partner, according to their lifestyle and location.

Way back then, he also reiterated TMP’s commitment to sustainability.

“Toyota Motor Philippines fully supports the Philippine government’s carbon reduction goals, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2030.”

Against this backdrop, the expansion of the full electric lineup from Lexus to Toyota vehicle models signals TMP’s continued push to broaden electrification options in line with the company’s “Beyond Zero” sustainability vision.

TMP’s local approach also aligns with Toyota Motor Asia’s regional target of achieving a 30 percent xEV share of new vehicle sales in Southeast Asia by 2030 (30 by 30), and introducing ten new xEV models in the region over the next three years.

At Road Trek, our group, which included veteran motoring journalist Ron delos Reyes, businessman and adventurer Joel Pedro, CEO of Lamoiyan Corp. and founder of Overland Kings, and myself, rode the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ VX variant powered by a 2.7-liter gasoline engine and paired with an automatic transmission.

The drive commenced from the Toyota Danao Cebu Service Center and headed to the 170-hectare Cebu Safari and Adventure Park, owned by M. Lhuillier Group of Companies founder Michel Lhuillier. To our pleasant surprise, the zoo was quite the hidden nature gem, featuring over 127 animal species and lush forests.

The FJ is rugged and modular yet stylish. It was also very spacious at the back. Joel took the wheel while we all enjoyed the FJ’s robust engine.

True to the multi-pathway approach, TMP’s lineup included other vehicle types such as the Toyota RAV4 conventional hybrid whose fuel efficiency comes from its gasoline engine working together with an electric motor. There was also the Hilux, 4x4 and 4x2, an Alphard HEV and more.

As for me, I took the latest Lexus GX for a spin, and I really liked its solid feel.

I didn’t get to try it off-road, but I am sure it would be thrilling because its engine is clearly formidable. And because it’s a Lexus, one feels that perfect blend of refined elegance and power.

The Road Trek culminated at the expansive Kandaya Resort which is known for its spacious beachfront pool villas and sprawling grounds.

It is also one of the jump-off points for the world-famous Malapascua Island, a remote tiny island touted for its powdery white-sand shores and emerald blue waters.

In all and true to Toyota’s multi-pathway approach, Road Trek 19 was truly a living and moving showcase of the changing motor vehicle industry and how TMP, the country’s top automotive company, is fearlessly driving toward the future.

It is also a fitting love letter to the Philippines and its beautiful destinations.

As Ryo Yokoyama, TMP marketing division senior vice president said in his welcome message – it’s about “riding beautiful cars while appreciating the nature of the Philippines.”