Story & photos by Randy S. Peregrino
VOLKSWAGEN Philippines in partnership with the Lica Auto Group, recently inaugurated its newest dealership in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
Situated along the busy automotive row of the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road, this facility marks the Volkswagen Philippines’s eighth branch since it officially started operations in 2013.
As the brand’s first-ever dealership in southern Luzon, it will target mainly the upwardly mobile markets of the Calabarzon area (Region 4A) that encompasses the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon. The region is a booming economic growth corridor populated by nearly 8 million potential customers that fall within the vehicle-buying age demographic of 20 years old and above.
“Establishing our eighth Volkswagen dealership in the country, at the economic epicenter of a developing phenomenon that is the Calabarzon area, was a very easy decision to make. And in collaboration with the Lica Auto Group, we are able to establish our presence in a very exciting market. Now, the region’s residents and enterprises will have more access to the German engineering, build quality, and driving experience of Volkswagen automobiles and the accompanying Volkswagen aftersales services and support,” said Volkswagen Philippines President Felipe Estrella.
The newly opened Volkswagen Santa Rosa dealership operates under the Lica Auto Group’s Strasbourg Auto Corp., which will showcase and offer Volkswagen’s full product roster: The Santana, Santana GTS, Lavida and Lamando. The facility boasts an all-glass façade attracting more natural daylight. Inside the spacious display area, the display section could easily fit about six cars. The service area, meantime, has two bays with electric lifters and a carwash area apart from the extra space in the middle.
The Lica Auto Group is a key enterprise of the Manila-based Lica Group that traces its roots in Calabarzon-based real estate, sugar plantations and banking. This company, which counts over 50 years of operations, is one of the leading diversified business groups in the Philippines. Its holding company is among the largest automotive sales and businesses in the country. Involved in new/used-car dealerships, rent-a-car, leasing, parts/equipment distribution and service center stores, the Lica Auto Group now counts a total of 46 full dealerships and 19 satellite showrooms.
“Our first Volkswagen dealer takes the Lica Auto Group to a position of dominance in the auto industry in the southern Luzon area. At the same time, Volkswagen Santa Rosa will be more accessible to buyers and owners in the region,” said Lica Auto Group President Felix Limcaoco III.
With Volkswagen made more accessible to one of the Philippines’s most progressive growth areas, the people of Calabarzon will now have access to an affordable German motoring experience. Aside from being much more convenient, this will provide even more opportunities to focus on their own life goals. Now with eight dealerships strategically located across the Luzon and Visayas regions, more Filipinos now have more reasons to experience for themselves that with Volkswagen, Your Drive Just Got Better.
Volkswagen Philippines operates under AC Motors of Ayala Corp. Its seven other Volkswagen dealers are Volkswagen BGC at 938 28th Street City Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City; Volkswagen Quezon Avenue at 1229 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City; Volkswagen Pampanga at McArthur Highway, Dolores, City of San Fernando, Pampanga; Volkswagen Alabang at Madrigal Business Park, Alabang-Zapote Road; Volkswagen Cebu at A. Soriano Avenue, North Reclamation Area, Cebu City; Volkswagen Iloilo (Taft North, Mandurriao, Iloilo City); and Volkswagen Bacolod (along Araneta Street, Singcang, Bacolod City).
Image credits: Randy S. Peregrino