Motoring Today Column

Apr 24, 2019

Ford's CSR projects get 3 Driven To Serve awards

Ford Philippines for three years now has been a consistent podium finisher in the yearly award program that recognizes outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects of automotive manufacturers and distributors.

Ford once again led the winners' circle in this year's staging held at thePalms Country Club in Alabang lastApril 10. In the 3rd Driven To Serve Awards Night, Ford bagged two Gold awards, one forEducation and Training, and the other for Road Safety.

In addition, the silver award for Community Development was given to Ford's Operation Better World program, a global initiative, that in the Philippines had provided a source of clean drinking water to communities affected by super typhoon Yolanda.

Bagging three awards in one evening speaks volumes of Ford's strong commitment to the spirit of Corporate Social Responsibility.

Its outstanding CSR programs that bagged the Gold DTS were the Automotive Technician Scholarship Program; and the Driving Skills For Life.

Ford's scholarship program has graduated 48 scholars who took the 15-month course at the Don Bosco Technical Institute - Technical Vocational and Education Center (TVEC) in Makati City. The grant covers tuition fee, school supplies, miscellaneous and graduation fees. Graduates are employed by FG, and Ford dealerships.

The other Gold award was for the Driving Skills For Life (DSFL) program which aims to educate and upgrade the skills of Filipino drivers on the benefits of safe and smart driving.

The Driving Skills For Life has been a consistent top awardee because of its successful program. It was recognized with the highest Platinum award in the first and second DTS in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

In 2018, the DSFL, which is offered for free, trained more than3,000 drivers inLuzon, Metro Manila, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo and Davao. Also, it added driving exercises to demonstrate the effects of distracted driving.

The DSFL is now on its 11th year and it has reached private motorists and public utility vehicle drivers.

What is significant with the Driving Skills For Life program is the structured method of teaching - from classroom lectures to hands-on driving exercises to demonstrate vehicle handling, distracted driving and to be familiar with the vehicle's safety features.

In 2018, the program expanded to include drivers in Clark, Pampanga, Bacold and Iloilo. It has also conducted classes and demos to 700 Uber drivers in Manila and Cebu.

The Driven To Serve Awards, a project of the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists (SPMJ), aims to encourage and inspire automotive companies to continue doing good through their CSR programs.

Today, the many CSR programs of auto makers and distributors benefit communities by funding community development projects; upgrade the skills of drivers to contribute to road safety; provide free training and education to poor students whose lives are improved because of betters jobs; and help save the environment through reforestation and rehabilitation of rivers.

SPMJ , now on its 17th year, has the following projects -Early Warning, a teaching module on road safety; the Driven To Serve Awards which has recognized 48 outstanding CSR projects; and the SPMJ Forum, an interview with government and private individuals on topics that are related to motorists, roads and road safety.

Happy Motoring!!!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ray Butch Gamboa graduated from the College of Arts and Letters of the University of Sto. Tomas. It was a course that should have been preparatory to a law degree, but the call of broadcasting aborted his plans.

At the age of 16, while still a student, Butch tried his hand at disc jockeying, landing a job at Mareco Broadcasting Network’s AM stations DZBM and DZLM. From there, Butch moved on with his illustrious career as a popular disc jockey, riding the airwaves of Bob Stewart’s middle-of-the-road music at DZXX, and ending his disc jockeying career at ABS-CBN’s DZYL and DZQL.

From there, he stayed on with ABS-CBN, covering live the proceedings at the Manila Stock Exchange and eventually entered into the world of television sales as an account manager for the premier channel of ABS-CBN Channel 2.

In the early 70’s, at the outbreak of Martial Law, Butch was one of the thousands of professionals who woke up jobless when then President Marcos declared the new status of the nation. With the closure of ABS-CBN, Butch ventured into different fields outside of broadcast. He tried his hand and with ease and success at export (Costume jewelry), real estate (brokerage), and restaurants (fast food).

In 1987, after the revolution, with the broadcast industry back to its free state, and with its irresistible call ringing in his ears, Butch made his inevitable comeback and pioneered in a local motoring show, producing Motoring Today on Channel 4 and co-hosting with local motor sports’ living legend Pocholo Ramirez.

After 4 years, he ventured into another pioneering format by producing and hosting Business & Leisure, which was originally aired on ABS-CBN’s Channel 2. The format eventually espoused similar ones in other different channels. But the clones in due course faded away leaving the original staying on airing on Channel 4 and eventually on Shop TV on Sky Cable’s Channel 13.

The following year, the pioneering spirit in Butch spurred him to produce another TV show, Race Weekend, also on Channel 4, covering circuit racing at the Subic International Raceway after the motor sport’s hiatus of 17 years. But when similar shows with duplicated formats sprouted, he decided to give way and ended the program after a year, although still enjoying unparalleled viewership.

In 1998, when the local automotive industry was in a slump, Butch contributed his share to help the ailing industry by producing another popular motoring-related show, this time exclusive to the automobile and its industry—Auto Focus, which became a vehicle for local automotive assemblers and importers to showcase their products and dwell on the industry’s latest technological developments.

In 2003, Butch teamed up with his brother, Rey Gamboa who was a former Shell executive and presently one Philippine Star’s business columnist to co-produce and co-host the TV show Breaking Barriers on Channel 13. It is a talk show that features guests who are in the news and in the middle of controversies. The program ventures to draw deeper insights into current issues to learn how they impact to our daily lives.

Today, Motoring Today on its 28th year of service to the general motoring public still enjoys its unprecedented loyal vierwership nationwide while Auto Focus, after 16 years has firmly established its niche viewership among automobile enthusiasts and on the other hand Business & Leisure is on its 24th year dishing out current business issues and lifestyle features.

Today, aside from writing weekly columns for the Philippine Star (Motoring Today on Wednesdays and Business & Leisure on Saturdays) and executive producer / host of weekly TV shows (Motoring Today, airs Sundays on Solar Sports Channel 70, Business & Leisure, airs Tuesdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13 and Auto Focus airs Thursdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13, Ray Butch Gamboa is currently the Chairman and CEO of Sunshine Television Production and Marketing Services Corp., President of Gamcor Management and Development Corp., Chairman of Asia-Pacific Realty Corporation, President and Chairman of Socio-Communication Foundation for Asia and Founding Chairman of the Society of Phil. Motoring Journalists (SPMJ)