THE auto industry is confident of continuing its strong growth in the next months despite the heightened political rumblings, especially with the stable economic fundamentals already helping its sales to increase by 14.3 percent in the first two months of the year.

“Continued growth is still expected in the coming months amid political noise tempered by relatively stable economic numbers, coupled with the strength of the peso,” Elizabeth Lee, president of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers in the Philippines Inc. (Campi), said.

Lee reported that in February, the industry sold a total of 9,472 units, or a 12-percent increment, from the 8,474 units in the same month last year.

This upped the industry’s two-month sales to 18,280 units compared with only 15,995 units in the January-to-February 2007 period.

The local auto makers actually had their banner year last year in over a decade when it sold over 118,000 units, the first time the industry breached the 100,000-unit sales mark since 1996.

Passenger car (PC) sales registered a 3,123 sales volume in February, while commercial vehicles (CVs) sold 6,956 units.

Lee said CVs continue to corner the market with a 67-percent share growing 12 percent, while the PC segment showed strong growth of 19 percent.

“The robust growth for the PC is seen to continue in the coming months. Promotional activities of the dealers and the sales of new models introduced last year are seeing more positive results,” she said.

CVs are also off to a good start for the year, Lee said, with a 12.1-percent growth thus far, boosted by sales from the new models that were introduced last year.

Strong sales of pickup trucks, vans and C-wagon vehicles will sustain the momentum of this segment, she said.

Toyota continues to stay ahead of the pack with total two-month sales of 6,201 units, although its market share dwindled to 33.92 percent from 39.54 percent in the same period last year.

Completing the Top 10 are Honda (2,660 units), Mitsubishi (2,380 units), Hyundai (1,610), Isuzu (1,394), Ford plus Mazda (1,249), Universal Motors (827), Columbian Autocorp. (556), Nissan Motor Philippines (392) and General Motors Automobiles Phils. (387).

THE local contact-center industry is seen to outpace its counterparts in Asia this year with a 23.4-percent growth, based on a survey covering the managers of call centers located in the region.

THE auto industry is confident of continuing its strong growth in the next months despite the heightened political rumblings, especially with the stable economic fundamentals already helping its sales to increase by 14.3 percent in the first two months of the year.

SKYROCKETING world oil prices have again prompted oil companies to raise by another 50 centavos per liter the prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene, which took effect over the weekend.

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said Friday that it approved the application of the First Gen Energy Solutions Inc. (FGES) as a retail electricity supplier, even as the ERC looks forward to providing consumers the choice of where to source their power requirements.

CONSUMER advocate and businessman Raul T. Concepcion proposed Friday to revise the application of the lifeline-rate subsidy in such a way that only qualified poor residential users can avail themselves of such subsidy.

DAVAO CITY—The country’s pioneer in distributing auto-liquefied petroleum gas (auto-LPG) in the Visayas and Mindanao has offered the Office of the Vice Mayor here its autogas air-conditioned taxis for driver-beneficiaries of a livelihood project.

THE Philippines is inching closer toward achieving the status of a “mining country” as mining investments continue to pour in, despite the strong opposition to the government’s mining-revitalization program by various sectors.