MANILA, Philippines, September 23, 2014 - Despite a setback from Tropical Storm
Mario, the 5th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) held last
Thursday to Sunday, September 18 to September 21, at the World Trade Center was
its most successful yet, nearly doubling its foot traffic from the previous
PIMS in 2012.
The four-day motoring exhibit closed
early on Friday because of heavy rainfall and flooding across the metro.
However, the 5th PIMS bounced back during the weekend, closing with
over 90,000 visitors that spread across only three and a half days.
This year’s motor show is also the
largest in terms of the number of exhibitors with a total of 17 participating
car manufacturers and distributors, namely: BAIC, BMW, Daewoo, Honda, Isuzu, JEEP,
JMC, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Suzuki,
Toyota, and Volkswagen.
“True to this year’s theme of
‘Progress in Motion’, the 5th PIMS is the perfect reflection of the industry’s
robust performance in recent years. We at CAMPI are elated at the success of
the 5th PIMS and we recognize that this is made possible by the
joint support of the CAMPI members and affiliates, our government partners,
stakeholders and of course, the general motoring public,” said Atty. Rommel
Gutierrez, President of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the
Philippines Inc. (CAMPI), the industry organization behind the biennial event.
Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV,
CAMPI’s Guest of Honor at the opening ceremony, expressed his unwavering support
of CAMPI’s initiatives and of the automotive industry as a whole. “The problem
as we all know is the traffic and the worsening environment. We need to be able
to work together so that all of these can move forward together—so that the
progress that we want to have will not be one versus the other, but instead all
together as one people,” said Senator Aquino.
The 5th PIMS was also
attended by the delegates of the ASEAN Automotive Product Working Group (APWG),
a committee which plays a significant role towards achieving the objectives of
the ASEAN Economic Community.
Atty. Gutierrez added that the
success of the 5th PIMS was also measured by how much the visitors
have enjoyed the brand displays and presentations. Aside from the impressive
booths and exciting car launches, the exhibitors made sure that the spectators
were engaged by competent product professionals and models.
“We are overwhelmed by the response
of this year’s crowd. We heard stories of visitors who drove all the way from
nearby provinces, while some who came from as far as Baguio, stayed in Manila
for a few days just to attend the 5th PIMS,” said Atty. Gutierrez.
“With the success of the 5th PIMS, we are positive that the future of the Philippine automotive industry will continue to get even brighter,” Atty. Gutierrez concluded.
(Photos by: Pinoy Loves Wheels and CAMPI. Catch the Exclusive Story of Pinoy Loves Wheels on the 5th PIMS this coming days)
