THE following are the abridged views from three of the country’s top car moguls on coping up with the pandemic, as told to my well respected buddy, Alvin Uy.
From Raymond T. Rodriguez, president of Lexus Manila: “Today’s pandemic-hit business climate has struck the auto industry real hard. We keep asking the country’s top vehicle executives how they are coping and strategizing their organizations and networks (supply chain, dealers, customers). We are always conscious of our operating expenses, touching base with our customers regularly by conducting webinars that touch topics close to our clientele’s hearts, like Japanese cheesecake making, health issues and even golf as we are proud to have Miguel Tabuena to be our brand ambassador. Happy to say we are doing well in these dire times.”
From Spencer Yu, president of BMW-SMC Philippines: “The pandemic has definitely shaken things up and made the business environment quite difficult. It demanded that we change the way we do things. So, we take this challenge head on and welcome the opportunities that come along with it.
“The team is striving to be flexible while maximizing our resources to better suit the current business climate. It also helps that we are a premium brand that offers two- and four-wheeled options catering to a wide variety. In fact, BMW Motorrad’s contribution helps to keep our numbers stable.
“We are also doing our very best to move towards digitalization. Since our customers have limited opportunities to visit BMW showrooms nationwide, we are slowly automating some areas of our operations while making sure that each individual still gets the best from BMW. With the support of our dealer-networks and partners from San Miguel Corp. and BMW Group Asia, we are positive that we will be able to make the most out of these challenging times.”
From Wellington Soong, chairman emeritus, Ferrari and Maserati PHL: “The Covid-19 pandemic has totally redefined the demand profile of our customer sensitivities to their own financial realities, and all our marketing and sales initiatives are now situational. This is a very crucial time and the instinct is to survive and downscale operating costs as the market for luxury and ultra-luxury cars may have shrunk to about 30 percent.
“Lamentable, indeed, since while demand has become so fluid and dependent on a month-to-month basis for customer’s appetite, I’m still glad to note that our principals are empathetic and supportive of market realities so that we look forward to better times ahead.”
Such words of wisdom could only come from the industry experts, indeed.
Bicycle bashing
HERE’S a crunching hit at the bicycle, vibered to me by a friend of mine. Slightly edited:
“A cyclist is of no help to the economy. He does not buy a car and does not avail of a car loan. Because he does not have a car, he does not buy a car insurance and fuel. He has no need for car service and repairs. He does not pay parking fees. He does not become obese.
“Damn it, but healthy people are not needed in our economy. They do not buy drugs. They do not go to hospitals and doctors. They add nothing to the country’s GDP. On the contrary, every new fast food outlet creates at least 30 jobs—10 cardiologists, 10 dentists, 10 weight-loss experts. It helps ease the unemployment problem for having several people working in the outlet.
“So, choose wisely: A cyclist or a KFC? Worth thinking about.”
“P.S. Podner: Walking is even worse. A walker does not buy a bicycle.”
Bulacan airport
SPEAKING of cars and employment, the soon-to-rise New Manila International Airport in Bulacan will generate a surge in vehicle sales as a result of strong demand by travelers using the gateway in their trips, both domestic and overseas. That’s an automatic boon to the economy, eagerly awaited to jumpstart a return to normalcy following the debilitating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
With the coming airport that will have a record four runways and eight taxiways, millions will have jobs, manufacturing will be whirring almost nonstop, and vehicle-driven commerce running in a frenzy for the P740-billion project of San Miguel Corp. through its President-COO Ramon S. Ang—predicted to be completed within five years or so.
Did you know that the airport was first conceived by RSA in 2009 yet?
Through sheer daring will dreams come to reality.
PEE STOP Hey, fellas, did you know that our dear Willy Soong is a Covid-19 survivor? With the help of at least five doctors, including those from Cebu, Willy hurdled the hump but not after more than a two-week ordeal of warding off the relentless “onslaught of the virus.” But he says it was by “God’s grace” that he licked the deadly virus. “I am almost 78 and God still loves me,” he said. Truly, the One doctor that heals completely is Dear God. Here’s to life, Willy.