Glitz, glamor and glitches in the 3rd PIMS
SAN FERNANDO, La Union. -- The just concluded 3rd Philippine International Motorshow held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City was no doubt the biggest and most prestigious of the three editions of the show and of any motorshow ever held in the country.
The PIMS also holds the distinction as the only local motorshow graced by a Senate President in its inaugural year in 2007 and by two sitting presidents and a former president in its last two stagings. Last week, President Noynoy Aquino was joined by former President Fidel Ramos who toured the various displays with Elizabeth Lee, president of the organizing Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. or CAMPI, as host. There were also dignitaries from various countries who gave their support to their manufacturers.
With a total of 20 global brands exhibiting more than 100 brand new vehicles on 15,000 square meters of floor space and subjecting 40 cars to public test drives for four days, the show is gradually catching up with its Asean neighbors in terms of participation and the number of spectators.
Excitement for the show reached an all-time high considering that the country’s auto industry is on a roll posting 37 percent sales increase in the first seven months of the year with some members experiencing unprecedented 50 to over 100 percent rise in their sales figures.
With a robust market and the availability of the latest vehicle models, the 3rd PIMS projected a healthy competition among participating members. As in most major car shows in the world, the opening day is always the most anticipated as the exhibitors come up with one good production after another as we witnessed in their 30-minute individual presentations.
The opening day glittered with stars and celebrities. Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. or HARI had Broadway star Lea Salonga, international young singing sensation Charlie Green, world-acclaimed ballerina Lisa Macuja, musical conductor Gerald Salonga and a philharmonic orchestra in their opening program to introduce the Ix-Metro, Hyundai’s Hybrid Electric Crossover Utility Vehicle. Hyundai Motor president Steve Yang flew in from Korea to watch the rare assembly of world-class Filipino talents. To be honest, I found the production and the cast better than what exhibitors in the Detroit, Los Angeles and Tokyo motor shows offered during the times I covered the three shows.
Meantime, Asian Carmakers Corporation, distributors of BMW had songwriter Ryan Cayabyab and his young singing protégés as guest performers. Columbian Autocar Corporation, distributors of Kia cars signed up Dulce and a choir for a special number while Isuzu Philippines Corporation presented a mini-variety show of songs and dance with Nanette Inventor, also known as Doña Buding, providing the continuity. Honda Cars Philippines and Chevrolet featured popular TV personalities Bianca Gonzales and Ryan Agoncillo as hosts for their programs.
Luxury car exhibitors Audi, Porsche, Volvo and Mercedes Benz had simple presentations using new talents but they were also well-received. Market leaders Toyota Motor Philippines and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines had their presidents as presenters of their stands.
Even if we still don’t have figures on the number of people who attended the show, we can already say that the recent PIMS, now done biennially, was a huge success. It has successfully imparted to the public its theme "Drive the Green Road" with seminars on how to conserve fuel and take care of the environment, exhibits of green technology as well as display and test drives of fuel efficient cars and cars that use alternative energy.
While the show had glitz and glamour, it also has its share of a few glitches. Kia had good intentions in using two live tigers in their booth to highlight the features and character of their new luxury sedan Cadenza but they might have avoided sensitive issues if they had consulted some animal welfare groups beforehand. I am not an animal rights activist but I felt uncomfortable when I learned that there were two live tigers inside two glass cages at the Kia stand. This is actually the first time for me to see such display and I felt pity for the tigers for their exposure to too much noise, powerful lights and unnatural habitat. I wouldn’t have minded if the producers had used stuffed toy tigers in their booth. That way people would have been able to see the new car up close and the live animals would not have competed for attention with the new car.
There was just one instance when I saw a live animal appearing in a car exhibit. This was at the 2005 Tokyo Motorshow when Honda brought in a puppy as part of their unveil of a concept car meant to be pet-friendly. The puppy appeared only for a few minutes. In fairness to Kia, they pulled out the tigers after the first day and replaced them with motorized stuffed tigers on the following day.
Another area that needs improvement is media accreditation. Before the PIMS press conference held in June, Writers Edge, the agency handling media matters, asked me to submit the names of my staff who would cover the car show, to which I obliged. I anticipated this year’s car show to be much bigger so I decided to have two camera teams to cover and I submitted additional names which were accredited by Writers Edge as communicated to us via email. I remembered that during the press con, we were given green baller type usb which had the press information we needed. It was a good idea as it had saved paper and print material. But we were told that it was also going to be our IDs or our access pass to the motorshow. My crew came on opening day but when I remembered about the so-called "IDs," I went to the media booth to claim the green IDs only to be told that they had run out of them. In shows like the Tokyo, Detroit, SEMA and LA auto shows, you get your badge or ID as long as you have pre-registered with them.
Without the pass, I hesitated to send my crew back the following day to take more footage and interviews as they might have problems getting in. The use of a usb is good for press info but it is a bad idea to use it as an ID. First it was bad for security as it could be passed on to other persons or some enterprising people can buy a similar item, wear it and gain access to the show. A credit card-sized ID would have been ideal as used in the four international shows I mentioned as well as in Bangkok, Singapore and Indonesian motor shows. Locally, the Tran Sport Show and the Manila Auto Saloon had used plastic press IDs before so why not the country’s biggest auto show?
The media agency could have helped also if they had given the press updates prior to the show’s opening. I would have appreciated getting emails on the schedule of presentations and the exact time the show would open. There was no email on the schedule prompting one colleague to call up some participating companies to check on their schedules. We were used to the 10 a.m. opening but when we got to the World Trade Center at 9:30 a.m., the President and his party were already touring the exhibits. If we had been emailed or texted about the time, we could have taken some precious footage of the program.
Parking has always been a problem especially now that the PIMS’ crowd has been growing bigger and bigger. Many people park from quite a distance. Perhaps in the next motor show, the organizers can provide shuttles using electric-powered jeepneys or even pedal-driven trikes as what I saw in past SEMA shows in Las Vegas. This may also be a good way to promote the use of clean energy. But when traffic is slow, the fastest way to get to the show’s entrance from the parking areas is by walking.
Overall, congratulations are in order for the organizers and the exhibitors. Everyone put their best foot forward and made the show, especially the opening, very much alive. With 20 opening programs lasting 30 minutes each, we actually huffed and puffed from one stand to another to catch the almost non-stop action on various stages. It was good that the sequence was arranged according to the exhibitors’ positions in the hall requiring us to just do a few meters of walking to get to the next show. It was still tiring though but it was good exercise or many of us.
The good drive: I am writing this column from San Fernando City in La Union where I have joined the Automobile Association Philippines in their Helmets for Kids program involving various elementary schools in the city. Introduced in May this year when FIA Global Ambassador for Road Safety Michelle Yeoh came over to personally distribute helmets to children in Pasig City, the program is on its second of a 5-leg campaign to promote the wearing of helmets for kids who ride with their parents to school on a motorcycle. Called the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, the program undertaken by the Asia Prevention Foundation, the Federation Internationale d’Automobile , the AAP and the Asian Development Bank, believes that a helmet is one’s vaccine against head injuries. Some 200 school children and 10 teachers received their brand-new helmets here. It was quite touching how the children had appreciated the donation of helmets as they realize the danger they’re facing everytime they ride a motorbike to school. However, this does not mean that the organizers are encouraging children to ride motorcycles. AAP gave three criteria for children who could back ride- first they should be big enough to embrace the driver in front. Second, their feet should securely lie flat on the foot peg provided for the back rider and their, they should wear a helmet.
San Fernando Mayor Pablo Ortega and DepEd superintendent Dr. Linda Laudencia joined AAP officials Gus Lagman, Jovy Mantaring, Johnny Angeles and Cynthia Reyes during the ceremony.
Incidentally, on our way to San Fernando last Sunday, an accident between two motorcycle riders occurred causing slight injuries to both drivers and long traffic of vehicles on the national highway in the town of Aringay, three towns from this city. My cameraman and I got off our car and interviewed the victims. The driver of the offending motorcycle reeked of liquor. He also admitted to me that he did not have a driver’s license and he did not wear a helmet. That made him a violator of four rules in driving including his collision with the other rider. Fortunately for him, he only sustained minor injuries despite non-use of a helmet.
The police took him to the precinct for questioning.
This week is a busy week for road safety advocacies. Today Manila Bulletin motoring editor Pinky Colmenares and I will be at Angelicum School in Quezon City to share the Early Warning Road Safety Program developed for high school students by the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists (SPMJ). We will meet with the school principal and some teachers who in turn can teach the program to their students.
Of course, registration for the 4th Auto Review run for Road Safety and Courtesy is going on at ROX and Runnr at Bonifacio High St. in Taguig City and at no. 5 Agusan St, Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City for inquiries, please call 7420283 or email autoreview10krun@gmail.com.