Motoring Today Column

Mar 31, 2021

Affordable Driving Schools

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) now requires applicants for student driver permits to undergo a 15-hour Theoretical Driving Courses (TDCs).

And before these student drivers can apply for a non-professional driver's license, they also need to undergo an 8-hour Practical Driving Courses (PDCs).

But even with those certificates, applicants for new driver's licenses still must pass written and practical tests administered by the LTO.

Applicants can take the courses at LTO-accredited driving schools or at Driver Education Centers the LTO is establishing at regional offices and branches nationwide.

The courses at LTO-DECs come for free or at very minimal fees that cover instructional materials.

The courses at LTO-accredited driving schools are expensive, running into the thousands and even tens of thousands of pesos.

The LTO-DECs are too few in numbers to accommodate everyone. That leaves expensive driving schools that are required to transmit PDC certificates electronically or on-line to the LTO-IT System.

People are complaining about pricey driving schools.

Now the LTO may have found a solution that will help mitigate the problem.

The LTO is partnering with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to standardize the courses for educating and training drivers especially those who would make it a profession.

A memorandum of agreement between the two will authorize TESDA and its training centers to offer Theoretical Driving and Practical Driving Courses equivalent to those being offered by the LTO Driver's Education Centers.

With TESDA more people can avail of free or less costly driver training courses.

Perhaps automotive manufacturers can also be encouraged to help in this initiative. One way is by providing the vehicles needed for practical training. Government should be thinking of incentives for automakers or distributors to join in efforts to ensure more competent, courteous and conscientious drivers are on the road.

Congrats, HFA Winners

Congratulations are certainly warranted for winners of the 20th Henry Ford Awards which recognize excellence and professionalism in Philippine automotive journalism.

Special mention should made of the five awardees of the new Go Further Changemaker Award, who who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help his or her fellow countrymen at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

These are James Deakin for his "One for the Road Initiative"; Monch Henares for his "Masked Crusader Initiative"; Ardie Lopez for his "I'll Hold the Line Song Composition" in honor of frontliners;Anjo Perez for his"Food for the Heroes Initiative," and Mike Potenciano," for his "Toy Run Initiative."

The other winners are:

Automotive Column, Driving Our Agnes in the Time of COVID -Monsi Serrano for PhilBiz News;

Automotive Green Feature, This Car Needs No Roads -Ronald Delos Reyes for Daily Tribune;

Automotive Industry Feature, The Pragmatic SUV -Randy Peregrino for BusinessMirror;

Automotive Online Feature. Benjamin Dimson: How a Filipino Artist Built a Career Designing Porsches and Mercs-Vince Pornelos for AutoIndustriya;

Automotive Online Lifestyle Feature, The ABC's of ABS, EBD, ESP, ETC-Manuel Delos Reyes for 2nd Opinion;

Automotive Photograph, Golden Blossoms -Arabelle Jimenez for Motourismo;

Automotive Print Feature, What Happens When Cheap Oil Meets A Pandemic-Eric Tipan for Manila Bulletin;

Automotive Print Lifestyle Feature, Anger Management in 2 Hybrids-Teresa Salazar for Philippine Daily Inquirer;

Automotive Road Safety Feature, How to Properly and Safely Disinfect Your Car Interior-Julian Panlilio for AutoPH;

Automotive Technology Feature, Do Expiry Dates for Child Restraints Really Matter?-Froilan Bacungan Jr. for VERA Files;

Automotive Video Feature, Understanding the Mild Hybrid Geely Azkarra-Vince Pornelos for AutoIndustriya;

Ford Automotive Feature, I Think My Father's Ford Mustang Died With Him-Vernon Sarne for Visor;

Ford Automotive Video Feature, Behind the Wheel: 2020 Ford F150 Review-Caco Tirona for AutoDeal;

Best Automotive Section for Broadsheet, Philippine Daily Inquirer; and

Best Automotive Website, Top Gear Philippines.

Congratulations to all our friends who make all motoring media proud.

Isuzu Tagum Opens

Also deserving of congratulations isImage Motors Davao del Norte, Inc. headed by its presidentWalter Alvarez and managing Edward Bangayan.

Image Motors Davao del Norte has formally opened its newest dealership,Isuzu Tagum, located strategically at Barangay Canocotan, along the road that connects to three major road network systems in Mindanao-thePhilippine-Japan Friendship Highway, theDavao-Mati-Agusan Road, and the Davao-Bukidnon Road.

At the opening, Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) president Hajime Koso praised Isuzu Tagum's leadership for perseverance and grit to open the important dealership as scheduled even amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Tagum has emerged into a booming city with a strong economic development brought by different businesses citywide. It has become inevitable for IPC to set foot here, so that we can cater to more customers in the region," Koso said.

The Isuzu Tagum dealership is a 5,000-square meter facility that features the latest Isuzu Outlet Standard (IOS) showroom design and a large service shop that can cater to nine light commercial vehicles and four trucks all at the same time.

New HINO Truck

Hino Motors Philippines (HMP) continues to support the logistics industry which in these Covid-19 times plays a vital role in sustaining both the economy and consumers.

HMP has launched the all-new Hino 300 Series, a light duty truck that should serve a thriving e-commerce industry well.

"With the introduction of our all-new Hino 300 Series, we hope to not only support local suppliers and retailers in responding to the current demands of the market but also to help them in expanding to other businesses and finding new opportunities," said HMP president Mitsuharu Tabata.

The all-new Hino 300 Series, which comes in the narrow and wide cab variants, is now available in all Hino 3S dealerships nationwide.

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments & inquiries:

(email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com

(website) www.motoringtoday.ph

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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)

 

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