Category: Auto

MMPC acquires manufacturing plant in Sta. Rosa Laguna

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Recognizing the sustained growth in the economy and the coming age of motorization in the Philippines, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) acquires the 21-hectare closed manufacturing plant of Ford Motor Company Philippines situated in Greenfield Automotive Park in Sta. Rosa Laguna.

The acquisition of the plant is part of Mitsubishi Motor Corporation’s (MMC of Japan) strategy to further strengthen MMPC’s role of expanding sales and production capacity which is part of its new stage of growth mid-term plan until the end of 2016 fiscal year. MMC has recognized MMPC’s strong performance in the Philippines with its continuous growth in spite of the increasing market competition.

MMPC managed to establish new records in its operations last year when it celebrated its 50th year of continuous operations in the country. MMPC achieved total sales of 43,176 units last year, breaking the previous sales record of 36,533 units established in 1996. This sales performance garnered MMPC a total market share of 20 percent while also establishing its 7th consecutive growth since year 2006.

MMPC is looking forward to the new Philippine government auto policy which is aimed at strengthening the local auto manufacturing operations to make it competitive against other Asian and ASEAN countries. Strengthening the auto manufacturing operations through this new auto policy, will eventually provide huge job employment opportunities not only to car assemblers, but also to the industry related companies and businesses such as first, second and third tier suppliers.

The Philippines, in spite of its new record sales achieved last year of around 212,000 units, is still far behind Thailand and Indonesia in terms of auto market sales, but is projected to rapidly grow in the coming years given its close to 100 million population.

Currently, MMPC’s 18 hectare plant is located at the growing residential area of Cainta, Rizal and has a capacity to produce 30,000 units annually. Last year, MMPC has produced around 15,000 units given its existing completely knocked down (CKD) models such as the L300, Adventure and Lancer EX. MMPC plans to relocate to this new site and start vehicle production by January 2015.

Mr. Hikosaburo Shibata, MMPC President and Chief Executive Officer said that “The acquisition of the Sta. Rosa factory will further strengthen our assembly operations, utilizing heavy stamping machines, advanced equipment and facilities engineering that will support MMC’s business objectives for the new mid-term business plan.”

New Volvos debut at 2014 MIAS

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Guests at the 2014 Manila International Auto Show will be up for a treat as Volvo Philippines showcases new Volvo models. Slated on April 3-6 at the World Trade Center, visitors will behold the All-New V40 Cross Country and the reimagined 2014 Volvo XC60. These two carry the smart luxury characteristics that make driving a Volvo a uniquely enjoyable experience.

All-New Volvo V40 Cross Country
With its rugged design cues, increased ride height and a whole range of technological innovations, the All-New Volvo V40 Cross Country is the perfect companion for a spontaneous adventure. This muscular 5-door V40 sibling includes protective body panels, bigger wheels and tires and an increased ride height, making rutted tracks and rough ground less of a challenge. It incorporates all the best of contemporary Scandinavian design, with added attitude. A true Swedish looker, the cabin features ergonomically designed seats that feature a unique two-tone design and accent stitching. With the Volvo Sensus, one can adjust the brightness of the interior LED lights as well as choose from seven different theater light modes to create the desired ambience. Or switch to temperature lighting, which automatically envelops the interior in colors that match the climate control settings. Being a Volvo, you can expect that it benefits from class-leading automotive safety, featuring a range of innovative technologies including Adaptive Cruise Control, Pedestrian Airbag technology*, Pedestrian Detection* with full auto-brake and City Safety, which automatically brakes the car in an emergency at speeds of up to 50km/h. It’s all part of IntelliSafe, Volvo’s complete approach to car safety. It can also be equipped with Park Assist Pilot that makes parallel parking less of a hassle and can park the V40 automatically. Locally available in petrol or diesel, the V40 Cross Country is a nimble, spacious, and fuel-efficient Volvo that gives you plenty of versatility and style.

Volvo XC60 SUV
Enjoy the marriage of capability and performance with Volvo’s XC60. Excellent road-handling coupled with Corner Traction Control allows the XC60 driver complete control whether in the highway or on twisty mountain roads. The purposeful, wide new grille and daytime running lights make the XC60 stand out in a crowd. Everything, from the classic Volvo V-shaped sculpted bonnet to the iconic floating center stack, enhances the car’s distinguished looks. Enjoy intuitive and advanced connection with Volvo Sensus. With three modes to choose from, the unique Adaptive Digital Display can be personalized to suit your mood. Choose from three fuel-efficient engines and enjoy horsepower of up to 304 and a torque of 440Nm.

Smart Luxury and Volvo’s new breed
Other Volvo models will also be on display including the All-New Volvo V40 that won the 2013-2014 Premium Crossover Wagon of the Year at the recently concluded Car of the Year Awards. Also on the spotlight is a very special, personalized Polestar-powered Volvo C30 with R-Design characteristics. Both carry the dynamic personality of the new breed of Volvos.

People can check out more about the new Volvo line through the Smart Luxury microsite and Volvo website at www.volvophils.com. Volvo redefines luxury through Smart Luxury, a fresh take in delivering cars that combine style and substance, form and function, practicality and performance. For Volvo, luxury is not about meaningless excess or wasteful extravagance but the emotion that comes from driving a car that is designed with people in mind.

DHL Express, ECOGLOBAL Foundation partners to safely recycle used

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Shown in photo (from L to R): Philippe Saubier, Managing Director, ECOGLOBAL Foundation; Jean-Philippe Henry, Chairman of the Board, ECOGLOBAL Foundation; Nurhayati Abdullah, Country Manager, DHL Express Philippines; and Gavin Conboy, Senior Director of Operations, DHL Express Philippines.

DHL Express, the world’s leading express service provider, and ECOGLOBAL Foundation sign an agreement to safely recycle used lead-acid batteries.  Under the partnership, DHL will store all its used lead batteries in acid proof containers that ECOGLOBAL will provide.  The containers will then be collected and properly recycled.

 “DHL is committed to this partnership because we are aware that used batteries are serious pollutants.”  said Nurhayati Abdullah, DHL Express Philippines Country Manager.  The partnership with ECOGLOBAL is line with one of DHL’s 3 focal points of its corporate responsibility programs, namely, GoGreen (environment protection), GoGreen (protecting the environment), GoHelp (delivering help) and GoTeach (championing education).

Shell marks United Nations World Water Day

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As the world commemorates UN World Water Day this year and its theme of the “water-energy nexus”, Shell is helping to raise awareness of the linkages between the world’s water and energy systems and the need for integrated solutions.

This includes public dialogue events throughout the year, profile on Shell.com and in social media, and an upcoming web chat on the role of gas in Asia to take a closer look at future energy challenges impacting the region.

For the past few years, Shell has been active in finding ways to address the water-energy nexus in its operations, scenarios* work, and by hosting public dialogue events. This is because the world’s water and energy systems are tightly linked. Most forms of energy production need water, and energy is needed to transport and treat water. The world’s growing population and increased prosperity will put pressure on global demand for energy, as well as on food and water supplies in the coming decades. This relationship between energy, water and food is appearing on the agendas of governments, NGOs and businesses, including Shell.

“Shell recognises the growing resource stresses between energy, water and food, particularly in cities where as much as 75% of the world’s population is expected to live by 2050,” said Jeremy Bentham, Shell’s Vice President for Global Business Environment. “To understand and respond to these challenges, Shell has been bringing experts together from government, non-governmental organisations and other businesses to explore new forms of partnership and collaboration.”

Last month, Shell hosted its signature Powering Progress Together forum in Manila, Philippines to discuss future challenges around water, energy and food stresses, and promote the need for building resilience in companies and in society at large. Philippines was the first country in Asia to host the global platform, welcoming around 350 thought leaders from business, government and civil society. Powering Progress Together events will also be held in Europe, South America and the Middle East during 2014.

In its operations, Shell is working to better manage its water use globally. For example, at major facilities in water-scarce areas, Shell is developing water management plans that include how our operations will minimise water use and even increase water supplies by recycling. Off the coast of Singapore, for instance, Shell’s largest wholly-owned refinery at Bukom island distils seawater to make over 10,000 cubic metres of water every day to produce steam used in refining, conserving fresh water resources for households usage.

Shell facilities use innovative approaches and advanced technologies to manage water, developed with help from a global centre of expertise for water at the Shell Technology Centre in Bangalore, India. In Huizhou, China’s Guangdong province, an atypical process used at a Shell-CNOOC petrochemicals joint venture complex, saves at least 5.5 million tonnes of water every year, enough to fill up a small-sized reservoir.

Customised water recycling systems to reduce the amount of water we use from local sources are one example of the innovative approaches Shell is developing and implementing at several of its operations around the world, including the Netherlands, Canada and South Africa.

Beyond its operations, Shell works closely with local water authorities to develop solutions that benefit both Shell and local communities. In a remote Punjab town, eight hours away from the border metropolis of Lahore, Pakistan, a recent survey of ground and municipal water supplies showed high levels of bacteria content were rendering fresh water supplies not potable for the local community. In response, Shell installed a water filtration plant to purify ground water to benefit over 5,000 community members.

Realising that water-energy nexus issues are intrinsically linked with energy challenges, and to continue extending our focus on both, Shell is organising a web chat led by Roger Bounds, the Vice President of Shell’s global LNG business and a team of Shell experts on the role of natural gas in Asia on April 17, 2014. To register for this web chat and other Shell dialogues on the future of energy, visit http://www.shelldialogues.com/gasinasia.

Teachers, students join Caltex in fight against TB

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Forty two teachers out of 48 and 27 out of 476 students from ERDA Technical and Vocational High School in Pandacan, Manila will soon be educating their own classmates, co-teachers, families, and neighbors through classroom talks, community seminars, and house visits as qualified trainers in tuberculosis (TB) awareness in their community. The volunteers were trained and certified as part of “Caltex Labanan ang TB para Tsuper Healthy.” This multi-awarded TB awareness campaign created by Caltex marketer, Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), is designed to raise awareness and bust myths about TB in partnership with city health offices in Manila, Makati and Quezon City.

Manila City Health Office District 6 TB Coordinator Dr. Juliet C Recidoro trained the ERDA volunteers in prevention, early detection, and treatment about the disease. In turn, the trained ERDA volunteer teams will conduct in-school trainings and visit adjacent barangays into the next school year armed with Caltex anti-TB flyers, stickers and flip charts. ERDA is also looking for possible joint partnerships with other schools to form a network of anti-TB volunteers who will embark on a larger scale TB awareness drive to further reduce the number of TB cases in Pandacan.

ERDA Tech’s commitment to a TB-free advocacy is further reinforced by implementing a new policy of adding sputum tests as part of the school’s medical screening for all on-the-job training students starting next school year. Fifth year high school students will spend an average of 300 hours or 3 months in their respective workplaces. Mark Magsalin, High School Principal of ERDA Tech, said, “ERDA Tech values its reputation and relationship with various companies honing the skills and utilizing the service of our students. We realize that TB awareness should begin in us. And so we take full responsibility for our students by ensuring each one is TB free.”

“Like Chevron, we also value the members of the community. ERDA Tech’s three year involvement in this campaign has brought awareness to 662 persons which shows that we are serious in helping sustain the project’s momentum of creating further awareness and dispelling misconceptions about TB,” added Magsalin.

In partnership with select transport groups and the local government units of Makati, Manila and Quezon City, CPI pioneered the TB awareness campaign in 2009 to protect public transport workers (PTW) from this dreaded disease. The campaign has already reached more than 14,000 PTWs with help from 57 trainor-PTWs certified by CHOs.