Over the last few weeks Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (Hari), the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, has received support and praise from no-less than His Excellency Han Dong-man, ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines.
Han was the guest of honor at Hyundai’s launch event at the 2019 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) in April. Hari also hosted His Excellency at the Hyundai Dream Centre Philippines (HDCP) in Laguna on May 6.
Ambassador Han praised Hari for its role in promoting cultural and economic ties between Koreans and Filipinos. To the delight of Hari board members and guests, the ambassador delivered his remarks in near-flawless Filipino on April 4.“This is the 70th year of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea. It is my great honor and privilege to be with you all today, at this wonderful auto show with Hyundai. Now, hari means “king”, so I believe that Hari will be the king of all vehicle brands in the Philippines,” the ambassador said.
Hari launched two new vehicles at the MIAS. The 2020 Palisade is Hyundai’s newest flagship SUV and will be available in the Philippines, just four months after taking the Los Angeles Auto Show by storm. The Palisade won the prestigious 2019 Red Dot Award for exceptional design in the Product Design (Cars and Motorcycles) category.
The fully electric Kona EV also made its Philippine debut at MIAS, rounding out Hyundai’s roster of forward-looking mobility solutions.
Han also cited the HDCP as an embodiment of the strong Philippine-Korean ties. The HDCP, a world-class training and education hub where underprivileged youth train with Hyundai to be expert automotive technicians, was established last year in partnership with Hyundai Motor Co. and Plan International.
The center’s first batch of scholars graduated last November and have since gone on to begin careers with Hyundai’s nationwide network of dealerships.
According to Hari President and Chief Executive Officer Ma. Fe Perez Agudo, “[The] Hyundai Dream Centre Philippines represents our ‘human-ware’—the brilliant young men and women currently training to be world-class automotive professionals.”
Korea ranks the fourth-largest trading partner of the Philippines, following the US, China, and Japan. Last year trade volume reached $15.7 billion, or a 9.3-percent increase, compared to 2017. Hyundai has contributed a lot to this, as Hyundai now accounts for more than 8-percent market share in the Philippines.
Photo shows the ambassador touring the HDCP facilities with Agudo, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Corporate and Trade Operations Support Services Group Ladislao Z. Avila (left), and aftersales service division head Richard G. Gapasin (right).