So, the barriers, though unsafe will stay

I don’t believe this. Despite having one accident after another, some even fatal, where vehicles slam into the concrete barriers put up by the MMDA, especially in the areas where you find the infamous u-turns, the Metro’s traffic managers are still keeping them while blaming the drivers for such accidents to boot.

This is such a “misplaced political will” as some concerned motorists would term it.

Well, so be it. But then if we may just issue a plea to the traffic authorities to please, please light them up very well at night and make sure there are plenty, not a handful, but plenty or an abundance of warning signs long before these concrete barriers jut out of the inner islands to ensure motorists’ safety.

Now, if and when you heed this plea, kindly use reflectorized paint (not the fake ones, the paint that really glows in the dark) in all these warning signs.

Motorists who do not agree with the present leadership would just have to wait for change and in the meantime bear with what’s on hand and be very careful while in the streets of the metro – we’re on our own!

MAN to watch

I recently made two trips to Bangkok that were just a week apart. The first one gave me insights into the operations of SCG Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Thailand that has business interests in the Philippines, namely Mariwasa Siam Ceramics and United Pulp & Paper, which gave me a wealth of materials for my weekly Saturday column (Business & Leisure) here in The Philippine STAR.

The second trip was “motoring-oriented” as I was there to attend the opening of the Regional Operating Headquarters (ROH) of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG, Munich, Germany, one of the leading international suppliers of commercial vehicles and transport systems. The invitation came from MAN Automotive Concessionaires Corporation (MACC), their exclusive distributors here in the Philippines headed by their managing director, Fernando “Ferdi” A. Lu, whose family is also deeply into the logging and reforestation industry.

I was the only member of the Philippine Media in the group that went to Bangkok to attend that very important event for MAN in their efforts to expand their presence in the region and to make MAN the preferred brand in the transportation industry. Others in the group include Johnny T. Hernandez, president and general manager of Victory Liner, Inc., presently the largest bus company in the country accompanied by his nephew, Miko, son of Cesar Hernandez of the Pangasinan 5-Star Bus Company, the 2nd biggest, Arsenio Yap, president of Columbian Motors Philippines, his vice president, Augusto “Butch” Camacho, there was also the president and general manager of the official haulers of Chevron in the country, ITP Trucking and Transport Services, Ireneo A. Manahan and MACC senior sales manager for vehicle sales, Hector A. Casal.

During our trip, Ferdi and Hector briefed me regarding MAN’s long history in the Philippines, which started way back in the 60s when you may remember seeing buses plying Highway 54 (now EDSA) and provincial highways that were owned by DM Trans, UBL in Batangas and Saulog Transit for the Cavite route, among others that bore the brand of MAN. The distributorship changed hands since then with the largest of them all, Delta Motors Corporation (MAN Division) from 1978 to 1984 owned by the Silverio Group of Companies. After Delta’s closure in 1984 MAN’s German offices appointed its former services manager to oversee sales and after sales operations in the country until the official appointment of MACC, MAN Automotive Concessionaires Corporation in 1989.

Having grown into one of the major manufacturers in the premium segment of medium and heavy commercial vehicles in Europe, MAN, until recently, had been focusing its business expansion in that part of the world. But growing further meant for MAN to have considerable stronger engagement overseas to penetrate other global market potentials effectively. This would mean that it would have to decentralize the sales, marketing and service activities and relocate these to the overseas regions. From this strategy change, comes the decision to set up MAN’s Operating Headquarters for the Asia-Pacific Region in Bangkok to take over the controls of around 50 countries in this part of the world.

Aside from Thailand, this leading manufacturer of diesel engines, trucks and buses in the world, has strong presence in China, Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines – “then why choose Bangkok to be its operations hub?”

That was my first question during the press con for the international media that immediately preceded the official opening ceremonies, of course only after begging the indulgence of the Thais that may be  present, if only to know what their country must be doing right to have this preference from this large multinational conglomerate.

Mr. William Lee, CEO of the Regional Operating Headquarters enumerated the advantages of their country of choice like having a good supply base, an active domestic market, its very accessible location having ease in flying out and in to and from almost any country in the world and last, though I would presume definite not the least, is the Thai government’s support. In my follow-up question as to how exactly did the government’s support come, the young-looking Singaporean executive was quick to respond that tax holidays and perks top the list of assistance plus the overall ease of dealing with the government with regard to requirements, permits, etc. Are we learning from this?

With the establishment of the Regional Operating Headquarters, MAN shall have the regional heads for the business development of sales for Trucks and Buses and their after sales as well as for various Technical Support functions, marketing and HR stationed in Bangkok. The decentralization from the Head Office in Germany into the regions appears to be a clear indication for MAN Truck & Bus to become more international and with that a committed Global Player. It is also welcomed by all distributors assuming that a closer relationship can be expected through faster communication and improved responsiveness.

Also discussed during the press con was China’s aggressive entry into the global trucks and buses industry with a bevy of clearly lower cost vehicles. We learned that MAN, in its efforts to react to such a scenario of a flooded market of low cost trucks and buses, shall be working closely with its Indian partners to design and manufacture MAN vehicles with almost the same standards of technology, amenities and safety but at a much lower cost. We learned further that there were also attempts to have Chinese-made clones of their truck models enter the European market, but these were immediately quelled and refused entry right at the borders.

In its Philippine operations, I was further apprised that MAN’s exclusive distributors, MACC sold the first truck with Euro 1 standards as early as 1994, even before the Clean Air Act took effect. With Euro 1 set to be phased out in 2008, MACC are already selling MAN buses with Euro 3 standards with plans of testing Euro4 buses by next year.

The inauguration ceremony, which came complete with elephants that symbolize good luck in Thailand, saw the presence of top MAN management executives from Germany led by Mr. P. Erichreineke, EVP and member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing.

Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards gear up early

Public voting for the 2008 Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards for automobiles would have a much wider base in its next staging. Scheduled to be launched in March next year, the Award’s drawing board sees a partnership with a top bank that has auto loans in its portfolio that would facilitate voting from the main cities of the country where mini motor shows shall be held. A media partnership with a top radio network shall also create the needed awareness and impetus for the public to express their automobile preferences possibly in three modes – on line, on-site and through SMS.

Watch for further announcements regarding a bigger and wider-based search for the most popular automobiles in each class and the ultimate “Auto Focus Automobile of the Year – Peoples Choice” in 2008.

Motoring Tip of the Week

We are in the midst of our Christmas shopping and these are the times when the criminal minds are most alert and highly creative in thinking of ways and means to get what’s not theirs.

Our major reminder is not to leave anything visible inside your vehicle that would serve as an invitation to thieves to “come and get them”. If you have to bring back to your vehicles items that you have shopped, you’ll be better off putting them in your trunk than leaving them inside your vehicle in “plain sight”.

Happy Motoring!!!

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