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2018 Philippine Auto and Parts Expo showcases proudly Pinoy-made vehicles, parts, accessories

By Randy
.
August 21, 2018

“Gawang Pilipino para sa Pilipino (Made by Filipinos for the Filipino)” – That is the core theme of the first ever Philippine Auto and Parts Expo (PhilAPEX) which took flight last year.

At the time, the event saw notable success, that it retained this powerful theme on its 2nd staging this year. It’s the 2018 PhilAPEX, and following its success last year, it went underway in style last August 10 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

The idea behind the PhilAPEX is to showcase the top-quality craftsmanship of the Filipino in the automotive industry. As such, it highlights local vehicle manufacturers, parts makers, as well as other local business sectors in the field. Similar to last year’s event, it’s organized by the Philippine Parts Makers Association (PPMA), with utmost support from the Department of Trade and Industry – Board of Investments (DTI-BOI) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

In detail, this year’s PhilAPEX boasted some of the country’s most active names in the auto industry which have proven themselves as worthy entities in promotion locally-made products. These include Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) and Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) with their Mirage G4 and all-new Vios as centerpiece displays, respectively.

One notable thing about the aforementioned car manufacturers is their participation in the government’s Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) Program. This program was created in 2016 to heighten the standards of the local automotive industry by way of highlighting the renowned quality of work by Filipinos for the Filipino.

This year’s PhilAPEX also mark the debut of Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC). For its booth, the Japanese brand fielded all 3 of its example units for the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) PUV Modernization Program. These modern PUV models were proudly made by such local body builders as Centro, Almazora, and SantaRosa using IPC’s QKR77 truck.

Speaking of PUV modernization, the CARS Program was created with 3 slots in mind. 2 of which went to MMPC and TMP. Since there were no other car manufacturers interested to join at the time, the government decided to allocate the budget of the 3rd slot to a handful of local parts and body builders who aim to participate in the PUV Modernization Program.

PPMA looks forward to another successful staging of the Philippine Auto and Parts Expo next year, all for uplifting Filipino workmanship and ingenuity.

Photos by Randolph de Leon

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About the Author

Randolph de Leon
Randy is a person with disability (PWD), a partially-blinded person with only his left eye functioning. Since childhood, the automobile has always been his passion, and is able to express it through photography and most recently, through writing as well. Outside the motoring beat, Randy spends time manning the media aspect of his business which he co-founded with his sister/college classmate. It's called Dragonlight Wellness and Solutions, a multi-business venture centering on improving peoples' lives through earning.