Motoring Today Column

Sep 14, 2022

Motor Show Weekend

We know where you should be this weekend. At theWorld Trade Center in Pasay City for the 8th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS).

You could even jumpstart a long weekend of auto enjoyment as the return of the motor show organized by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) starts from Thursday, September 15, up to Sunday, September 18.

The return of the PIMS is significant as it is a sure sign that the country has for all practical purposes recovered from the Covid 19 pandemic that has certainly affected and is still negatively affecting the industry.

The last PIMS, held every two years, took place back in 2018.

All of the popular auto manufacturers and distributors are participating in the PIMS: BMW, Cherry, Foton, Geely, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Suzuki, and Toyota.

The theme for this year's PIMS is quite relevant: "Mobility + Humanity: Innovating for the Common Good."

All the participating CAMPI members are expected to be showcasing their best and latest offerings. Perhaps of greater interest are the new model launches.

Also in keeping with this year's PIMS theme, expected to be showcased are models already in manufacture or being developed that are all about sustainable development, convenience and safety.

It will surely be an exciting long four-day weekend for auto enthusiasts at the World Trade Center.

No Pain, No Gain

It's a very old cliche. But there's no gainsaying that the motorists in Pasig will feel a lot of pain with the closure of a portion ofMeralco Avenue from the front section of theCapital Commons to the corner of Shaw Boulevard.

But the gain from the closure-expected to last until 2028- will surely be worth all the pain. The closure paves the way for the construction of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) - Shaw Boulevard Station.

The closure of a portion of the Meralco Avenue is also significant as it shows that government is serious about completing the country's first underground transit system, a 33-kilometer subway stretching from Valenzuela City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay Ci ty, reducing travel time between Quezon City and NAIA from 1 hour and 10 minutes to just 35 minutes.

According to a Department of Transportation (DOTr) press release, "once operational, the 33-kilometer underground mass system will cut across eight cities in Metro Manila, passing three central business districts, and service up to 370,000 passengers daily."

Meanwhile, motorists in Pasig should get used to the congestion the construction will bring and take notice of the various alternate routes identified by authorities.

Commuters should also take note that the routes of public utility jeepneys and the so-called modernized jeepneys, as well as UV Express units, have been realigned to go around the closed portions.

NLEX Connector

Another project that fits in with the no pain, no gain cliche is NLEX Connector Road project.

The project has seen road closure, or road narrowing causing all congestion and longer travelling time for motorists and commuters.

But the gains are surely coming.

According to news reports, the portion of the NLEX Connector from Caloocan Interchange on C3 Road to España Interchange inManila is expected to be completed in October and open to motorists by December of this year.

Already the portion from España Boulevard to Sta. Mesa is 10 percent complete and should be finished by the second quarter.

NLEX Corporation president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista said the government has already delivered over 90 percent of the right-of-way for the first section and over 80 percent of the second section.

The NLEX Connector Road project will cost P15.7-billion. It is an elevated four-lane toll expressway passing through and above the right-of-way of the Philippine National Railways.

It starts from NLEX Segment 10 atC3 Road, Caloocan City and will connect with theMetro Manila Skyway Stage 3 project inManila, providing a seamless link between the NLEX and the South Luzon Expressway.

The connector road can serve around 35,000 motorists daily while significantly reducing travel time from NLEX to SLEX and vice versa.

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)