4th PIM Show seen as start of something big for local motoring

AT THE launch are Daniel Lee (Universal Motors Corp. EVP) Ryoji Yamazaki (Isuzu president), Michinobu Sugata (Toyota president), Dante Santos, Campi vice president and FVP Mitsubishi), Rommel Gutierrez (Campi president and Toyota VP), Jose Ch. Alvarez (Campi chairman emeritus and chairman of Asian Carmakers Corp./BMW and Columbian Autocar Corp./Kia), Val de Leon (Campi treasurer and Nissan SVP), Hikosaburo Shibata (Mitsubishi president and CEO) and Tatsuya Natsume (Honda president and general manager)

THE CAMPI Board with Suzuki chief Satoshi Uchida (extreme left) and CATS Motors president Felix Ang (right)

With a strong 31-percent year-on-year growth in sales in May, recent introduction of new car models, and improved supply conditions, members of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) is confident that the upcoming 4th Philippine International Motor Show, slated from Aug. 16 to 19, 2012, is the start of something big for the industry.

“The timing of the 4th PIMS to be held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City is just perfect. Optimism among the 13 members and affiliates of this premier umbrella organization is riding on the auto industry’s strong performance in May. This is a clear sign that the industry is on the road to recovery and in achieving its targets in the industry road map,” announced Rommel Gutierrez, president of Campi.

Gutierrez, who is also corporate affairs VP of Toyota Motor Philippines Corp., enumerated the following developments that Campi expects to attain by 2016: increase production output to 285,000 units; increase domestic CKD sales to 195,000 units; maintain localization levels to at least 40 percent; export 90,000 vehicles; and increase parts export to $4.8 billion (P201 billion) from $3.8 billion (P159 billion) as of end-2011.

Campi also expects to increase the contribution of the local automotive manufacturing industry from an estimated 12 percent of industrial sector output or 4 percent of the country’s total gross domestic product in 2011.

Confident

“We at Campi are confident that the local auto industry will attain our 2022 vision for the Philippines to be a competitive manufacturing base of motor vehicles and parts and components, serving both the domestic and export markets,” Gutierrez said.

GUTIERREZ bares the 4th PIMS details as Santos and Alvarez look on

He added that these targets are attainable considering that the country’s automotive manufacturing and assembly industry in 2011 alone accounted for 12 percent of the country’s industrial sector output and 4 percent of the total GDP (based on according to data from the National Statistics Coordination Board).

“Even with the supply disruptions that hampered our growth, the industry’s economic footprint remains significant. As of 2010, the industry generated investments of P120 billion and jobs for 68,000 auto workers to include the parts and components industry and the 340,000 workers of ancillary industries that are connected to the auto industry,” shared Gutierrez.

He informed that in 2010, Campi members paid duties and taxes of over P30 billion, recorded total exports of about $3.8 billion, and heavy, long-term investments by among the world’s largest and most respected

automotive companies.

He explained that beyond mounting a show of international caliber, this year’s PIMS also supports Campi’s staunch advocacy in re-crafting the new Motor Vehicle Development Program and underscoring the importance of enhancing the competitiveness of the local auto manufacturing sector to entice auto manufacturers to provide additional investments in the country.

The 4th PIMS theme, “Drive the Fun,” shows support for the Department of Tourism’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign.

“Campi cements its reputation as the so-called ‘flag carrier’ for the Philippines in terms of international motor shows. Our dream is for PIMS to one day become a tourism draw in itself—in the same vein that the Tokyo Motor Show has been drawing crowds from outside Japan. This is partly the reason we chose the theme ‘Drive the Fun’—riding on the resounding success of the Department of Tourism’s ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ campaign,” said Gutierrez.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/4thPIMS).