What drives your Lent?

Since it’s just a week to go before we all go on a (much-needed) Holy Week break, Inquirer Motoring finds it just timely to subject gearhead friends and acquaintances to a quick survey that would supposedly reveal their whereabouts during the Catholic faithful’s most solemn days.

Inquirer Motoring simply asked them: What will be your motoring break this Holy Week?

These were their choices:

a) Refrain from driving my favorite sportscar/big bike;

b) Refrain from driving, whatsoever;

c) Be a Good Samaritan to a fellow motorist when the opportunity presents itself;

d) Be a volunteer and help in motorists’ assistance programs;

e) Be a defensive driver the entire week;

f) Teach my kid/spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/yaya how to drive;

g) Enroll a loved one into a driving school;

h) Let my driver go on a vacation, and go on all the household errands myself;

i) Walk, run and bicycle more than use the car;

j) None of the above. I have my own plans, which include…

And so, here are the results of the quick survey (of which Inquirer Motoring is sure no senator-judge would dare question):

Driving Ms. Mom

Good Year Asean demand planning head Reynaldo Cruz Ibarra chose “j,” explaining that he intends to drive his 80-year-old mom around to nearby provinces, as “she hardly travels nowadays because of her condition.”

“We will do it on Friday-Saturday when there are already relatively few cars on the road,” said Ibarra. He said that his mother “is still relatively healthy, but she has difficulty traveling long distances. She cannot stay sitting too long.”

‘The Lord drives me’

LAWYER Albert Arcilla

“None of the above,” said lawyer Albert B. Arcilla, The Covenant Car Company Inc. managing director and president. In explaining his choice, Arcilla said, “During Lent I stay home and take time to remind myself not ‘what’ drives me every day but ‘who’ drives me every day and that is Christ our Lord. This is the best time to keep still and be thankful that the Lord has chosen to drive me, my family and our company every day of our lives.”

That answer Inquirer Motoring considered a mix of letters “b” and “j.”

Let the driver go

Danny M. Isla, Lexus Manila president, said that he’d go for “h.” He said this has been his practice ever since. Isla also said he doesn’t have to teach any of his kids to drive as all his children are grown up, and are all based in New Zealand.

DANNY Isla

“We have two drivers—one for me and one for the wife. My wife’s driver has been with us for more than a decade already. He’s like family. We travel 20 to 30 km on the average per day. Short it may seem but we’re relieved of the stress driving in and out of the chaotic metropolis. When i feel like it, I take power naps when I’m on the road. Same is true with my wife. We got used to sleeping while the car is in motion. Some sort of an energy booster for aging folks,” Isla laughed.

Making music on high ground

Gregorio T. Yu, CATS Motors Inc chair, says his family will go up to the family-owned log cabin at Tagaytay Highlands and “hibernate” there. Yu said it would be a good opportunity to get away from it all. “I plan to catch up on my reading and play classical guitar. I have a huge backlog of pieces to learn and memorize.

“Having said that, of course I will be a Good Samaritan if the opportunity comes up and try to minimize driving when we are up in Highlands,” he said. That’s a mix of the letters “c” and “b.”

Silence, prayers reveal directions

FE Agudo

Fe Perez Agudo, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. president and CEO, said that she chooses to take a break from work, and “pray in silence, a quiet time for me to reflect on the good things the Lord has given me. To see where and how I can be an instrument to help others and finally draw out the HARI Foundation 2013 directions.” Letters “c” and “j.”

Drive with the birds

Automotive technologist and photographer Alex P. Loinaz said that he will drive to Candaba, Masantol, Macabebe, Subic and photograph birds, and also see the different flagellants. He said he would also help a motorist, “if I happen to see one in need of assistance, which I usually do.”

Loinaz said he’ll be “a defensive driver and drive as economically as possible to conserve energy.” He would also go on a fast, “as I always do every day anyway since I normally don’t have lunch from Mondays to Fridays.” Loinaz said he also plans to visit the Santo Entierro. Letters “e” and “j.”

Visita Iglesia, Cebu style

Ravien Bracero, Ford Club Philippines member, video editor, photographer and volunteer firefighter, said he has his own plans.

“I’ll be going home to our province in Cebu. I’ll drive my family to the different churches in Cebu for our Visita Iglesia. It’s our family tradition,” said Bracero. Clearly a “j.”

Patience extended

Automobile Association Philippines’ Mark Desales checks the letters “c”, “d” and “i.”

“I am a hot-headed motorist. I easily lose my patience every time I encounter undisciplined drivers. This coming Holy Week, I will try to extend my patience,” he said.

Desales added that “being part of AAP, it is already my habit to help motorists when they encounter vehicle breakdowns. I always extend help to motorists who need emergency roadside service.” He said that this coming Holy Week, “since I really don’t go out of town, I will prefer to ride a bike in going to church instead of using my car.”

The introspective drive

GINIA Domingo

Car enthusiast Leslie Sy would go for “d.”

“I tend to have some travel plans or simply drive somewhere I haven’t been to or haven’t revisited for a long time. I find long drives relaxing and reflective.” Sy said he used to drive his “toy car,” a Nissan Sentra with an SR20 engine. Now that he has sold that car, he said he’ll be using either his Mitsubishi Lancer EX or his ASX.

Sports is the thing

Mannix M. Ocampo, vice president for sales and marketing of GT Radial-Philippines, said, “This Holy Week, my driver will go on vacation. The family decided to just spend time together at home and just go to the country club for some sports fun like swimming, basketball and badminton. I will be doing the errands myself. Go visit my in-laws in a nearby subdivision. And of course the daily Masses.” That’s a “b” and an “h.”

Spring cleaning

Ginia Domingo, Columbia AutoCars (CAC) president, picks “h.” “I will do some spring cleaning. The driver will definitely take a vacation,” she quipped.

So, dear readers, what’s your motoring break this season of Lent?

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