Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 19, 2015

FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
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AAP Focuses on “Working Closely
with Government For Safer Mobility”
at 84th General Membership Meeting
T
HE Automobile Association
Philippines (AAP) held its
84th Annual General Membership Meeting (GMM) on April
30, 2015 at the Bahay ng Alumni
conference hall of the University of
the Philippines, Diliman.
This year’s GMM focused on the theme
“Working closely with Government for
safer mobility “ and was attended by hundreds of AAP members as well as AAP board
members, managers and staff.
In his speech as the guest of honor, Giovanni Gonzales, the newly appointed executive director of the Land Transportation
Office (LTO), expressed optimism that the
LTO and AAP could coordinate more closely to promote safer mobility for all road
users.
Gonzales also addressed current issues
such as the LTO’s “No Registration, No
Travel” policy. Responding to protests
about the policy, he said that the LTO is only
implementing a regulation in Republic Act
No. 4146, also known as the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
The LTO executive director said he
would investigate complaints from the public about the delayed release of license
plates and driver’s license cards. He
revealed that the LTO is drafting
policy changes in the issuance of drivers’
licenses.
Gonzales cited some of the road safety
projects done by AAP together with government agencies such as the training of public
utility vehicle drivers at the University of
the Philippines-National Center for Transportation Studies (UP-NCTS), the participation of AAP in the Department of Trade
and Industry’s Committee on Harmonization of Vehicle Standards and Regulations
and AAP’s joining the Technical Working
Groups (TWGs) preparing the implementing rules and regulations of RA 10586
a.k.a. the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving
Act of 2013 and RA 10642, a.k.a. the Philippine Lemon Law.
To cap his speech, Gonzales promised
closer coordination between the government and AAP, especially between the LTO,
an agency of the Department of Transportation and Communications, and AAP to improve road safety.
After the speech of Gonzales, the plenary
session was called to order and AAP president Gus Lagman presented the club’s annual report. The open forum was followed
by the canvassing of ballots and proclamation of board members for the year 20152016. All the incumbent directors were reelected except for Alberto Malvar, who had
expressed his wish to retire and was replaced by Ricardo Guevara.
Before the raffle draw, AAP granted Lifetime Membership Awards to Eduardo de
Tavera and Carmen Paz Ramos in recognition of their loyalty to the club. The AAP
Lifetime Membership Award is given to a
member whose biological age plus the
number of years of his/her membership
equals 100. It entitles the awardee to lifetime AAP membership free from the payment of annual membership dues. Tavera,
95, has been a member of AAP for five years
while Ramos, 78, has been an AAP member
for 22 years.
AAP thanked the GMM sponsors, namely
Motolite Marketing Corporation, Smart
Driving Corporation, Allcard Plastics
Philippines, Inc., Goodyear Philippines,
Inc., Federal Phoenix Insurance, FLT Prime
Insurance, Camelion Graphics Enterprises
Corp. and Polymer Products (Phil.) Inc.
LTO Executive Director Giovanni Gonzales (center) is welcomed by AAP
President Gus Lagman and AAP Vice President Johnny Angeles at the 84th
General Membership Meeting where he was the guest of honor and guest
speaker.
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FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
MAKING MOTORING FUN
By Gus Lagman
AAP President
Low Marks
for the LTO
Road safety experts, transport specialists, government officials and multisectoral and international development
agency executives from the Asia-Pacific region participated in the 2015 Asia Pacific Road Safety Seminar of the Global
Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) held at the ADB main auditorium in Metro Manila last April 28-30. AAP heads the
Philippine GRSP, which hosted the regional seminar.
AAP-led PGRSP assists hosting of 2015
GRSP Asia-Pacific Road Safety Seminar
THE Philippine Global Road Safety
Partnership Inc. (PGRSP headed by
the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) assisted in the hosting
of the 2015 Global Road Safety
Partnership (GRSP) Asia Pacific
Road Safety Seminar on April 28-30
at the Asian Development Bank
main auditorium in Pasig, Metro
Manila.
The theme of the seminar was
“Bridging the Road Safety Gap”
in consonance with the theme of
the Third UN Global Road Safety
Week this year. The seminar focused on the serious gaps in road
safety in countries across the Asia
Pacific region. There was also a
“SaveKidsLives” activity to reinforce the importance of child road
safety, which was the theme of the
Global Road Safety Week last year.
Philippine Red Cross Board Secretary Corazon Alma de Leon, the
guest of honor, provided insights on
why road crashes occur and how
they can be prevented. Citing findings from the World Health Organization, de Leon said that the main
causes of road crashes are speeding, drunk driving, lack of safety
features in vehicles, visual impairment, lack of driver adequacy and
for motorcyclists, non-use of helmets.
The other speakers at the seminar were GRSP Chief Executive Officer Dr. Barry Watson, FIA Foundation Chief Executive Officer Saul
Billingsley, Toyota Corporate Citizenship Manager Yukio Otani, Total
HSEQ and Sustainable Development Manager Abdul Malik, ADB
Principal Transport Specialist Jeffrey Miller, Violence and Injury Prevention Technical Leader John
Passmore and iRAP Asia Pacific Regional Director Greg Smith.
The delegates who attended the
International Road Assessment Program (iRAO) Asia-Pacific Workshop
at the same venue also participated
in the GRSP seminar to optimize capacity-building opportunities, develop networks to support information, share evidence-based good
practices and knowledge on road
safety, and stimulate support for the
United Nations Decade of Action for
Road Safety 2011-2020.
The Asia-Pacific seminar has
been supported over the years by
GRSP through its Global Road Safety Initiative (GRSI) program, with
funding assistance this year provided by the FIA Foundation, iRAP,
World Health Organization, the
Australian Road Research Board,
Royal Dutch Shell, Total and Toyota
Motor Corporation.
AAP AND PGRSP
In one of the workshops, AAP
President Gus Lagman, who chairs
the Philippine chapter of the GRSP,
said that the mission of PGRSP is to
become the Philippines’ umbrella
organization that formulates, enhances, promotes, implements and
sustains road safety practices
through public and private sector
partnerships. The PGRSP envisions
Filipinos making road safety a way
of life in order to minimize road fatalities and injuries.
Lagman reported that the PGRSP,
in partnership with the private sector, has organized activities promoting road safety, such as the distribution of Protec helmets to public schoolchildren as part of the
SaveKidsLives campaign and Volkswagen Philippines’ interactive exhibit on children and road safety at
the Manila International Auto
Show last April.
PGRSP Secretary General Alberto Suansing, formerly the chief of
the Land Transportation Office,
said that the GRSP seminar was
fruitful in providing relevant information and strategies to address
the challenge of improving road
safety and promoting road discipline.
Suansing said that the activity
entitled
“Applying
behavioral
change theory to road safety” gave
bases for programs that PGRSP can
develop in pursuit of its goals.
I WROTE this article while
on my flight back to Manila after attending a regional meeting of Asia–Pacific automobile clubs in
Kuala Lumpur on June 1516. There I met Michael
Bradley, the newly-installed CEO of the Australian Automobile Association. Out of curiosity, I
asked him how long after
registering a car does it
take to get new car license
plates in Australia. A bit
surprised by the question,
he said, “Well, I bought a
car just a few weeks ago
and I got my car plates
right after I registered it.
So, to answer your question, I guess, just a few
seconds.” Very frustrating
for me to hear that! I really should not have asked
at all.
I attended a Senate
Blue Ribbon Committee
hearing on May 21, 2015.
The purpose of the hearing was to investigate, in
aid of legislation, the current problems at the Land
Transportation
Office
(LTO), specifically, the
late – very late – delivery
of car plates. A related issue was the LTO’s mandating the replacement of the
old green number plates
when a car’s registration is
renewed. In addition,
there was also the suspicion that the bidding process for the new car plates
violated Commission on
Audit (COA) rules.
Chairing the hearing
was Senator J.V. Ejercito
and the other members
present were Senators
Ralph Recto and Alan Peter Cayetano. Attending
for the LTO were Undersecretary J. Lotilla of the
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and Assistant Secretary Alfonso
Tan, Jr., the LTO Chief.
When asked why the
delivery of car plates takes
six or so months, Asec Tan
replied that they were not
late, but the car dealers
were the ones at fault
since these dealers would
accumulate batches of invoices before they would
register them with the
LTO. The reason, presumably, was that they’re using the funds first for other expenses.
I can’t imagine dealers
holding off the registration
of new cars for that long,
despite the constant nagging by the buyers for their
car plates. If they did that,
somebody in their company is bound to squeal on
that improper practice. No,
I don’t think so.
And if that were true,
how come those simply renewing their cars’ registration must also wait the
same amount of time for
their new car plates? I re-
newed the registration of
an old car in February this
year; I still don’t have my
new car plates.
I actually don’t need a
new set of car plates.
There was nothing wrong
with the old ones. Asec.
Tan explained that the
LTO wants to standardize
the plates to have only one
design. For that LTO folly,
motorists will have to
cough up some P3.6 billion (P450 x 8 million vehicles). One of the senators said that standardization will happen anyway,
by natural attrition, so
why not just wait? No answer.
Another issue that LTO
could not explain was
how it was able to bid out
a P3.6 billion project
when its budget for the
year was only P180 million. That clearly was
against COA rules. A government agency is not allowed to bid out a project
with an amount that is dependent on future budgets or revenues. Jurisprudence on this was set
when the Supreme Court
nullified a Comelec award
of a P6.5 billion project to
a vendor, when the agency’s budget for that year
(early 2000) was only
P1.2 billion.
More hearings will be
scheduled to resolve these
matters.
AAP and DPWH receive
Star Performer Awards at
iRAP Road Safety Workshop
Asian Development Bank (ADB) Director for Transport and Communications
Tyrrell Duncan (3rd from left) prepares to greet Philippine Red Cross
Secretary Corazon Alma de Leon after her speech at the Asia-Pacific Global
Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) seminar together with GRSP CEO Barry
Watson (2nd from left) and International Road Assessment Program (iRAP)
Asia-Pacific Director Greg Smith. All four spoke at the GRSP Road Safety
seminar hosted by the AAP-led Philippine GRSP after the iRAP Asia-Pacific
Workshop held at the ADB main auditorium on April 28-30, 2015.
THE Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) and
the Department of Public
Works and Highways (DPWH) each received the International Road Assessment Program (iRAP) Star
Performer Award for the
second time, the first being
in 2011.
AAP president Gus Lagman and DPWH Secretary
Rogelio Singson accepted
the awards during the 7th
International Road Assessment Program (iRAP) Asia
Pacific Workshop last April
29 at the main auditorium
of the Asian Development
Bank (ADB) in Pasig, Metro
Manila.
On behalf of AAP and DPWH, respectively, Lagman
and Singson thanked iRAP
Asia Pacific Regional Director Greg Smith for the
awards.
The iRAP workshop,
which coincided with the
Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) Asia Pacific
Road Safety Seminar, was
attended by government
engineers, law enforcement
and public health officials,
road safety experts, transportation specialists, educators, researchers and representatives of NGOs, multisectoral and international
development agencies.
The iRAP workshop gave
participants the opportunity to understand the relationship between road design and risks and develop
an appreciation of how
iRAP tools can support road
safety initiatives both nationally and locally. This
year, the iRAP workshop focused on training participants in techniques to produce and interpret road
safety Star Ratings, including interactive sessions using the Star Rating Demonstrator.
The workshop included
case studies from countries
that have successfully used
iRAP assessments to help
them guide policy, drive in-
vestments in safety and create safer road designs.
There was an interactive
session using video data,
the Star Rating Demonstrator that explores the scientific basis for road infrastructure, safety improvements and the effect that
different road designs have
on risks for vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists.
A short open session was
also integrated in the workshop on topics such as: using interactive online Star
Rating maps to pinpoint
high risk road sections; creating a plan for affordable
road improvements; and
Star Rating new road designs.
During the interactive
Star Rating Session, groups
were assigned a section of
road and used the Star Rating Demonstrator tool to
Star Rate the section of the
road, identify five potential
safety countermeasures and
determine what the new
Star Ratings would be if the
countermeasures were installed.
A series of presentations
on topics such as the ADB’s
road safety demonstration
project in Shaanxi, postconstruction Star Ratings in
the Philippines, national
network assessments in
Australia, Star Rating designs in India, the highway
enhancement project in
China and the Star Rating
Bus Rapid Transit corridors
in Korea were shown.
The Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), represented
by its president Gus Lagman (center) and the Department of
Public Works and Highways (DPWH), represented by
Secretary Rogelio Singson (at left) received the International
Road Assessment Program's (iRAP) Star Performer Award
for the second time from iRAP Asia-Pacific Regional Director
Greg Smith for making roads safer by implementing iRAP's
cost-effective methods and technology. Introduced by AAP
to the Philippines, iRAP worked together with the DPWH to
assess the safety of some 44,000 kilometers of roads with
funding from the FIA Foundation, World Bank Global Road
Safety Facility and Asian Development Bank (ADB). Singson,
who was the guest speaker at the 7th iRAP Asia-Pacific
Workshop held at the ADB on April 28-30, reported that the
DPWH has begun to improve the safety ratings of iRAPassessed roads in the country.
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PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
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AAP distributes motorcycle helmets
to Paranaque school children
ON May 8, 2015, the Automobile
Association Philippines (AAP),
which heads and houses the secretariat of the Philippine Global
Road Safety Partnership (PGRSP), distributed Protec motorcycle helmets to school children in
Paranaque City as part of the
#SaveKidsLives initiative of the
United Nations Global Road
Safety Week. It was the second
round of helmet distribution
done by AAP this year, the first
being in Morong, Rizal in March.
With the cooperation of the
Paranaque Development Foundation, Inc. (PDFI), AAP donated Protec crash helmets to
around 50 children from the
districts of Tambo, Dongalo, La
Huerta and San Dionisio to ensure their safety when riding
motorcycles as passengers.
AAP vice president and advo-
cacies committee chair Johnny
Angeles, PGRSP secretary-general Alberto Suansing PDFI
board member Estrelita Neri,
PDFI Executive Director Letty
Basilio, and FIA Young Driver
Ambassador Milo Rivera attended the event to share their
thoughts with the children on
staying safe on the road.
“This is not just in compliance
with the UN Global Road Safety
Week entitled #SaveKidsLives,
but for the love of our fellow
road users, may they be children
or adults,” Angeles said.
He stressed that helmets save
lives. “One reason for using a
helmet—whether a half-shell,
three-quarters or a full-face helmet—when riding a motorcycle
is that it gives you a better
chance of surviving a road
crash,” Angeles said. “You are
three times more likely to survive a head injury than when
you’re not wearing a helmet. No
parent would like their child to
be injured, or worse, die in an
accident when riding a motorcycle. We are here to help you
keep your children safe.”
Rivera, a racecar driver who
is the 2014 National Slalom
Champion, said that AAP and
PGRSP were distributing helmets to enhance the safety of
children who ride motorcycles
as passengers. He quoted
Philippine national hero Jose
Rizal who said that the children
are our hope for the future.
Since 2010, AAP has been
distributing for free Protec helmets to schoolchildren after former James Bond girl/ movie actress Michelle Yeoh, now the
Make Roads Safe Global Am-
AAP led by AAP Vice-President Juan B. Angeles (last row, extreme right) recently distributed Protec
crash helmets to children in Parañaque who ride to school on motorcycles as passengers. The event in
Parañaque was part of the “#SaveKidsLives” campaign in support of the Decade of Action for Road
Safety 2011 – 2020 of the United Nations, Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Foundation
and Asia Injury Prevention Foundation.
bassador of the FIA Foundation,
came to Manila to launch together with AAP the Helmets
for Kids (HFK) campaign of the
Asian Injury Prevention Foundation, the Federation Interna-
tionale de l’Automobile (FIA)
Foundation and Asian Development Bank.
PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
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AAP Verifies Isuzu D-Max
Fuel Eco Marathon Results
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THE Automobile Association
Philippines (AAP) recently
served as the official verifier of
Isuzu Philippines Corporation’s
(IPC) fuel economy test of the
all-new 2015 D-Max pickup
truck.
From June 1 to 5, AAP Corporate Communications Officer
Ruben Manahan IV joined two
IPC teams in the 2015 Isuzu DMax Fuel Eco Marathon, testing
how many kilometers the 2015
D-Max 2.5-liter 4x2, one unit
equipped with an automatic
transmission (AT) and another
with a manual transmission
(MT) would cover with one full
tank.
The IPC teams consisted of
driver-participants Sergio and
Ivan Isada and their crew Arthur
Guevarra and Sonny Oliveros on
the MT unit and Raymund
Dimapilis, Enrico Mabunay, and
crew Carlo Consumido and
Richard Rosales on the AT unit.
Before the flag-off, IPC public
relations officer Yvonne Linchangco said that the teams
were allowed to use hypermiling
techniques based on their preference. Both the MT and AT variants of the 2015 D-Max would
each have only one full tank of
Petron Diesel, the official fuel for
the economy run.
As the verifier, Manahan
checked and sealed the fuel tank
and engine hood to ensure that
no other adjustments could be
made once the economy
marathon started. The total
number of distance travelled
will be based on the official
odometer reading at the end of
the five-day trip.
AAP Corporate Communications Officer Ruben
Manahan IV signs the AAP seal placed on the hood of
a 2015 D-Max 2.5L before the fuel economy run.
One of the two D-Max units with the AAP seal on its
hood.
After the fuel
economy run ,
AAP Corporate
Communications
Officer Ruben
Manahan IV
inspects and
removes the
AAP seal.
IPC president Hajime Koso
and vice president for sales
Daisuke Inaba woke up early
on Monday, June 1st, to flagoff the eco marathon teams
at around 4:00AM at the
Isuzu Manila dealership.
From Manila, the two DMax units went straight to
the northernmost city of Luzon, which is Laoag, Ilocos
Norte. They capped the first
day by covering 485.3 kilometers in the MT and 489
kilometers in the AT, based
on trip meter readings.
On the second day, the
teams drove from Laoag to
Tuguegarao, covering 352.4
kilometers in the MT and
353.9 kilometers in the AT,
based on trip meter readings.
From Tuguegarao on the
third day, the D-Max teams
capped the northern Luzon
loop at Clark, Pampanga,
with participants covering
another 454.2 kilometers of
road in the D-Max 4x2 2.5L
MT and 457.4 kilometers in
the AT variant.
FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
IPC VP for sales Daisuke Inaba, driver-participants Ivan Isada and Vip Isada, Isuzu
Manila GM Von Chavez and IPC President Hajime Koso before the flag-off of the
2015 D-Max Fuel Eco-Marathon.
The fourth day was
the longest day for the
participants as they
drove from Clark in Central Luzon down to Albay
in the Bicol region. The
2015 D-Max 4x2 2.5L AT
stopped at Polangui, Albay covering another
572.8 kilometers on that
leg of the journey and
posting a total distance
of 1,873.1 kilometers by
the time the fuel tank
went empty. The average
consumption of the 2015
D-Max 4x2 2.5L AT was
24.645 kilometers to a
liter.
Meanwhile, the 2015
D-Max 4x2 2.5L MT took
a different route to reach
Legaspi, Albay, thereby
covering 604.4 kilometers from Clark. On the
fifth and last day, the
2015 D-Max 4x2 2.5L
MT left Legaspi, Albay
and headed to the port in
Matnog, Sorsogon. From
Matnog, it went to Bato,
Camarines Sur, covering
294.6 kilometers on that
leg. With one full tank, it
had travelled a total of
2,190.9 kilometers, averaging an impressive
28.83 kilometers per
liter.
At the end of the journey, IPC marketing head
Joseph Bautista ac-
knowledged the results
of the economy run and
the support extended by
AAP in their endeavor.
“We are very happy with
the results of the 2015
D-Max
fuel
eco
marathon,”
Bautista
said. “This just shows
that Isuzu is still leading
in diesel fuel efficiency.
We would like to acknowledge also the support of the Automobile
Association Philippines
for observing the fiveday event and for verifying the results of both
the manual and automatic transmission categories.”
FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
FIA launches online
road safety pledge
T
he FIA has launched a
new online pledge aimed
at promoting road safety
and committing drivers to obey
the rules of the road, as part of
the FIA Action for Road Safety
campaign. The pledge is available at www.fia.com/pledge.
The fans, the general public as well as
the motor sport and motoring communities are invited to pledge their support and commitment to the FIA’s 10
Golden Rules for safer motoring. The
Golden Rules are a set of tips intended
to help motorists improve their driving
behaviour and remind them of their responsibilities to themselves, their pas-
sengers and all other road users.
The FIA is delighted to announce that
2014 Formula One World Champion
Lewis Hamilton has given his support to
this initiative as a 2015 FIA Action for
Road Safety Ambassador. Along with
FIA President Jean Todt, he was one of
the first signatories of the pledge, sending out a strong message to his fans
about the dangers of the road. Lewis is
the first in a series of high-profile ambassadors to be unveiled soon.
Lewis Hamilton said: “As an F1 driver, and even more now as a World
Champion, I feel I have a responsibility
to promote safe driving outside the
track. The FIA’s 10 Golden Rules are
simple rules that everyone should follow. I strongly encourage my fans to respect them and show their support by
signing the pledge.”
Jean Todt, President of the FIA, said:
“Road safety is a top priority for the FIA.
We’re calling on all road users to be responsible and to obey the rules on the
road. By taking our pledge, you are
making a personal commitment to improving road safety, one of today’s leading challenges. We all have a role to
play and together we can all save lives.”
The FIA can also rely on the support of
the campaign’s global partners – Michelin, Coca-Cola and PETRONAS, and official supporters – Nissan and Iveco.
FIA Action for Road Safety campaign
The FIA Action for Road Safety campaign was launched in May 2011 in support of the UN Decade of Action for
Road Safety 2011-2020, which now
reaches its mid-point. In order to remo-
bilise international attention on this
global challenge, the FIA is promoting
awareness on road safety through its
Member Clubs, partners and utilising its
leading role in motor sport.
Road accidents kill 1.3 million every
year and injure 50 million more. They
are the number one killer of 15-29 year
olds. Every day 500 children die on the
world’s roads.
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FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
Philippine Touring Car Championship 2015
Series Leaps to an Action-Packed Start
ROUNDS 1 and 2 of the 2015
Philippine Touring Car Championship (PTCC) Series leaped to
an action-packed start last May
16 and 17 at Clark International
Speedway with the country’s
finest touring car drivers headed by 2014 AAP Driver of the
Year for Circuit Paolo Mantolino
of Ethanworx Racing Team,
competing wheel to wheel.
The PTCC Series is owned by
the Automobile Association
Philippines and managed by the
Philippine Race Car Drivers Inc.
in partnership with the Batangas Racing Circuit Association’s
Philippine GT Series.
Division 1 newcomer and
2014 Division 2 winner Rich-
mon Dela Rosa performed an
excellent race as he bagged
races 1 and 2 against close rival
Paolo Mantolino, who checked
in second. Walter Zamora, who
was also making his debut in
the Division 1 Class, followed in
third place.
In the Division 2 Class, new
young driver Patrick de la Rosa
also made an impressive debut
race as he took races 1 and
2, besting champion rally
driver Dindo de Jesus and former Corolla Cup driver Bong
Perez.
It was almost the same story
in the Division 3 class as Ivan
Diaz took the victory in races 1
and 2 against Isabela City race
car driver Joginder Sin. Diaz
was followed closely by
Division 3 class champion Edwin Rodriguez, who debuted
his brand new Mazda 2 SkyActiv race car. Rodriguez, who
holds the crown in the Division
3 class. is proudly sponsored
by Mazda Philippines (Berjaya
Auto) which continuously
supports Philippine motorsport.
Leg 2, rounds 3 and 4 of the
2015 series of the PTCC will be
held on June 20 and 21 at Clark
International Speedway. For
more information on the 2015
PTCC Series, please call AAP’s
Motorsport Division at 6555889.
PTCC drivers line up their cars for the formation lap during the first leg of the 2015 Philippine Touring Car
Championship Series held last May 17 at Clark International Speedway. (Photo by Christopher Kho of
Time Attack Manila).
MOTORSPORTS ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS
Motorsport organisations demonstrate environmental excellence.
From FIA Institute
A
entire racing series to be accredited in the programme.
Garry Connelly, FIA Institute
Deputy President and Environmental Ambassador, said: “We
applaud those motor sport
stakeholders that have demonstrated clear environmental
commitments and follow the
guidelines of the FIA Action For
Environment campaign. We
look forward to many more following their lead.”
Gérard Saillant, President of
the FIA Institute, said: “These
organisations are fantastic examples of how motor sport is
embracing the drive towards
environmental sustainability.
On World Environment Day it
demonstrates that sustainability is at the heart of motor sport’s
future.”
S THE global community observes
World
Environment Day, motor sport’s
teams, circuits and championships are demonstrating their commitment to sustainability. On
this important day for
positive environmental
action, the McLaren F1
team, Mugello racing circuit and Formula E championship are just a few of
motor sport’s stakeholders that have shown excellence in environmental performance.
Track First
The Mugello Circuit in Italy
has become the first motor racing track to be awarded the
highest level of accreditation Achievement of Excellence - in
the FIA Institute’s Sustainability
Programme.
The McLaren F1 team has
again renewed its Achievement
of Excellence award, whilst
Apex Circuit Design has
achieved excellence in sustainability for the first time. In addition, the all-electric Formula E
championship has partnered
with the FIA Institute with the
intention of becoming the first
Following an audit of its procedures and credentials, the FIA
Institute found that the commitment of Mugello’s senior
management to sustainable operations was of the highest level. The circuit now joins the
likes of the UK Motor Sports Association (MSA) and the Rally
Australia event in having attained Achievement of Excellence in sustainability.
Paolo Poli, President of the
Mugello Circuit, said: “We are
committed to making Mugello
as sustainable as possible and
this award is a reflection of
those efforts. It is important to
us that we continue to invest
our time and resources in
green projects as the very future of motor sport depends on
us all adapting to our environment.”
Excellence Again
In 2013, McLaren became
the first organisation to be
awarded Achievement of Excellence, the highest level attainable of the FIA Institute’s
programme, and has subsequently renewed its certification each year since. The 2015
audit of the company highlighted its impressive implementation of policies and initiatives and stated that it was a
reflection of the team’s strong
commitment to sustainability.
Apex, whose work includes
the design of the Dubai Autodrome and development of the
Sepang International Circuit,
had last year been awarded
Progress Towards Excellence,
the second of three attainable
levels. Since then it has made
the necessary improvements to
reach the highest level of certification, including the implementation of an Environmental Management System and
clearly defined SMART targets.
Formula E is approaching the
climax of its inaugural season
and aims to achieve an accreditation in sustainability by the
Putting New-Car Tech in
Your Old-Tech Car
Our in-vehicle technology is now better
than ever, but most U.S. drivers aren't
yet enjoying the benefits of The Connected Car. Yes, you can get eye-popping
technology built right into today's vehicles, but aftermarket solutions can also
improve your safety, convenience, connectivity and entertainment. It's new-car
technology for your old-tech car.
The primary vehicles for most American drivers are more than 11 years old –
and the majority of cars and light trucks
on our roads today left the factory about
three years before the very first iPhone
arrived.
Many drivers don't realize they can
have nearly all the hot, new connectedcar technologies installed in the vehicles
they currently drive, often using products from the same companies making
them for the auto manufacturers. CEA
has identified the key technologies
drivers want in their vehicles to help you
upgrade the tech in your current car, until you decide it's time for a new one. According to CEA, the technologies most
desired by drivers fall into four areas:
Safety & Driver Distraction Elimination,
Smartphone Integration & Entertainment, Enhanced Audio and Remote
Starting.
For additional resources on mobile
electronics technology, products, and installation, visit the ConsumerElectronics
Association
Website
at
http://ce.org/ConnectMyCar/.
end of it. The championship has
also joined the FIA Institute’s
carbon
management
programme, where it can calculate
its emissions. In addition to the
calculation programme, the developed Carbon Management
module offers carbon offset projects provided by world leading
carbon project suppliers.
The
Sustainability
Programme, created by the FIA and
FIA Institute, aims to improve
sustainability across motor
sport globally. Stakeholders
that sign up for Environmental
Accreditation are rated against
three levels of performance –
‘Commitment to Excellence’,
‘Progress Towards Excellence’
and ‘Achievement of Excellence’. To attain the highest level, organisations must demonstrate that they have a clear
commitment to environmental
management; that performance
is measured and monitored;
and that key environmental impacts are identified and measured.
Editors Note
The FIA Institute's Environmental Accreditation Scheme is
a targeted programme to improve sustainability across motor sport worldwide. It provides
an environmental management
framework that stakeholders
can engage in and offers incentives for them to advance their
environmental performance.
This initiative builds on the
FIA and FIA Institute's commitment to environmental innovation and excellence already established through the development of eco-relevant sporting
regulations and automotive
policy work, as well as campaigns such as Action for Environment. The FIA and FIA Institute will continue to collaborate
in this area going forward to ensure improvements in the sustainability of motor sport
around the world.
B4
PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
-3
2015 Toyota Vios Cup
Races in Cebu
TOYOTA Motor Philippines and
the Tuason Racing School held
Race 2 of the 2015 Vios Cup at
the South Road Property in Cebu City last May 17. Forty-three
competing drivers faced with all
their guts the grueling 1.6 kilometer technical street track that
was approved and homologated by the Automobile Association Philippines, which also
sanctions the race under club
event status.
In the Sporting Class, Andres
Calma of Toyota Alabang controlled the tempo throughout
the weekend, having taken pole
position during the qualifying
time trial. He garnered 100
points for the Cebu leg, clinching both the morning and afternoon races. Calma was undeniably quick that weekend, post-
ing several fastest laps during
practice and qualifying time trial and he was the first driver
who clocked into the 1:12’s
time margin.
In the morning race of the
Sporting Class, Daniel Miranda
of Toyota Balintawak finished
second and Bobby Domingo, also from Toyota Alabang.
crossed the finish line in third.
In the afternoon race, Daniel
Miranda once again took the
second spot, followed by Allan
2015 Vios Cup Race
2 Cars in action
Uy of Toyota Quezon Avenue.
In the morning race of the
Promotional Class, newcomer
Paolo Rodriguez won both
races, besting close rival and also newcomer Oscar Suarez of
Toyota Cebu. Arthur De Jong of
Toyota Bicutan finished third.
In the afternoon race of the
Promotional Class, British driver Steve Bicknell came in second, followed by Ferdinand
Dysico in third.
In the Celebrity Class, it was
the same story as in the Sporting class when 2014 champion
Sam Y.G. set the pace, having
seated on pole position in the
qualifying time trial. The disc
jockey and TV host won both
races with an almost 9-second
difference over second placer
Derek Ramsay, the showbiz
2015 Vios Cup Race 2 Celebrity Drivers pose before the Awarding
Ceremony
hunk who was followed by
Celebrity Class female driver
Phoemela Baranda, the actress
in third place.
“The Cebu race was an exciting one with only a few minor
bumping incidents reported despite the challenges presented
by the street track. The drivers
drove almost perfectly, showing
good sportsmanship and giving
a good show to almost 10,000
Cebuanos who came to watch
the races,” AAP Motorsport Operations Manager Mark Desales
said.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AAP
When and how AAP began
AAP was founded in 1931 as
the Philippine Motor Association (PMA) by prominent Filipinos including Carlos P. Romulo, who became the United Nations Secretary General, Philippine Executive Secretary Jorge
Vargas, banker Albino Sycip
and captains of industry
Manuel Elizalde and Antonio
Brias. The objectives of the PMA
were the enactment of laws on
the use of motor vehicles, construction of good and safe
roads, practice of road courtesy
and safety, development and
promotion of tourism and the
promotion of the rights and
privileges of all motorists for
better and safer motoring.
Through the years, the PMA
continued to pursue those objectives. Benito Legarda, who served
as PMA president up to 1973, introduced membership services
such as free emergency roadside
assistance, bail bonds for members involved in accidents, personal accident insurance and discounts at retail outlets.
In the early 1950s, the PMA
joined the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme (AIT) and
the Federation Internationale
de l’Automobile (FIA), two
global federations that merged
in 2004 with the FIA as the
dominant partner. As the only
Philippine member of the FIA,
AAP is authorized to promote
and regulate four-wheel motorsport events in the country.
President
Elpidio
Quirino
named PMA as the National Auto Club. In 1963, the PMA was
authorized to issue the Philippine International Driving Permits in consonance with the
1949 UN Convention on Road
Traffic of which the Philippines
was a contracting party.
In 2001, when PMA observed
its 70th anniversary, the board
changed its name to Automobile Association Philippines
(AAP) to be in sync with the
AA’s (automobile associations)
of other countries.
The club’s longest serving
president, the late lawyer Conrado R. Ayuyao, was elected to
the top job in 1982. He cultivated closer ties with the FIA,
launched emergency medical
service for members and transacted the club’s purchase of a
property at 683 Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City which became the head office. In 1993,
Ayuyao opened a satellite office
in Cebu City.
Currently, AAP is headed by
Augusto C. Lagman as president, Juan B. Angeles as vice
president, Augustus V. Ferreria
as treasurer with David L. Arcenas, Armando L. Eduque, Jacinto M. Mantaring Jr., Aida Sevilla-Mendoza, Ricardo Guevara
and Guillermina T. Gabor as directors and Nestor Mejia as corporate secretary.
Mr. Lagman was the first Filipino to be elected to the FIA
World Council for Automobile
Mobility and Tourism as AsiaPacific vice president, one of
seven FIA vice presidents. He
has also served as vice president
of FIA Region II.
In the past few years, AAP has
expanded its emergency roadside service to include expressways of Luzon and continues to
offer ambulance service (outsourced) to members, discounts
on tires, batteries and car insurance, Land Transportation Office car registration assistance
and free glass etching. AAP
partnered
with
Goodyear
Philippines to operate the AAPGoodyear Auto Care Service
Center which also offers discounts to members.
What AAP is advocating
Our major projects are promoting safe and sustainable
mobility, motorsport and sustainable local eco-tourism. To
promote road safety, AAP lobbied for the Anti-Drunk Driving
Law and the Lemon Law and
participated in the Technical
Working Committees of the
government drafting the imple-
AAP Recovery and Safety trainees attach, lift and tow a fallen tractorhead out of a ditch as part their practicum.
menting rules and regulations
of these laws. AAP distributes
and administers the Road Safety Pledge to various government and non-government organizations. AAP attends Senate or congressional hearings
on motoring-related issues such
as drug testing of driver’s license applicants and requiring
the purchase of new license
plates in order to renew car registration
How AAP is tackling the
road safety issue
AAP president Gus Lagman
chairs the Philippine chapter of
the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) whose secretariat
is housed in our main office.
AAP participates in PGRSP projects and assists in organizing
the annual GRSP Asia Pacific
Road Safety Seminar in Manila.
We introduced iRAP to the
Philippine Department of Pub-
AAP President Gus Lagman (at left) and AAP Motorsport Chair Mandy Eduque (at right) with (left to
right) Slalom National Champion Milo Rivera, 4x4 Off-Road National Champion John Carlo Victor,
Touring Car National Champion Paolo Mantolino and Drag Racing National Champion Jonathan Tiu. Not
in photo is Karting National Champion Roberto Domingo. All five are the 2014 Driver of the Year in their
respective motorsport disciplines.
AAP President Gus Lagman (center) and AAP Vice President Johnny Angeles (at right) hand over four
digital breath analyzers to Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, Jr. for the use of Makati policemen deputized
to implement the new Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Law as part of its road safety campaign. AAP has
been donating breath analyzers to local government units and hospitals for some years now.
lic Works and Highways (DPWH) to coordinate in making
our roads safer and recently, Mr.
Lagman and the DPWH Secretary received for the second
time the iRAP Star Performer
award at the 7th iRAP Asia-Pacific Workshop held in Manila.
AAP’s Road Safety Committee
headed by Vice President Johnny Angeles continues to distribute Protec crash helmets to
public school children who ride
motorcycles as passengers, in
support of the SaveKidsLives
campaign of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020
of the United Nations and FIA
Foundation. Several years ago,
AAP, with funds from the Toyota
Motor Philippines Foundation
and 3M Philippines, improved
the main road of and installed
international-standard traffic
signs in, the University of the
Philippines (U.P.) Diliman campus. Afterwards, AAP organized
safe driving seminars for public
utility drivers at U.P. in cooperation with the U.P. National Center for Transportation Studies.
What are AAP’s road
safety plans for the future
Here are some ideas: AAP
may set up more Traffic Safety
Zones in school campuses like
what we did in the University of
the Philippines campus, produce a video on safe driving
habits targeting the youth that
will be shown in high schools
and colleges, build Children’s
Road Safety Parks in other cities
(AAP is currently building one
in the Subic Bay Freeport) and/
or assist the Land Transportation Office in testing the driving
skills of public utility vehicle
drivers. AAP will also undertake
whatever new projects or activities that the FIA Foundation
may line up for FIA-affiliated
auto clubs in support of the
Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.
The role AAP plans to play
in the future of mobility
Motorization has begun in
the country as shown by the
surge in new car sales recorded
last year and the first four
months of this year. This does
not even include used car sales.
More motor vehicles on the
road means more challenges for
AAP and our road safety and
sustainable mobility efforts.
AAP will have to work more
closely with pertinent government agencies such as the Departments of Trade and Industry, Transportation and Communications, Public Works and
Highways,
Education
and
Health – not to mention Senate
and congressional committees.
We will also network with private sector organizations and
non-profits that share our goal
to make roads safe, make cars
safer and thus make the Philippines a better place to live in.
B4
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PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
Mazda Design: The Car as
Art in Milan showcases
KODO design concepts
Mazda Motor Corporation
has unveiled art pieces inspired by its KODO - Soul of
Motion design theme in the
famed design capital of the
world, Milan, Italy. In an exhibit entitled, "Mazda Design: The Car as Art”, Mazda revealed stunning works
that feature design cues inspired by its current KODOderived vehicles such as the
CX-5, the Mazda6, the Mazda3, and the recently
launched all-new Mazda2
and fourth generation MX5.
Key standouts in the Milan exhibition are the “Bike
by KODO concept” and the
“Sofa by KODO concept”.
The two artworks are natural evolutions of Mazda’s
car design language in that
they utilize the same dignified minimalist design and
alluring sensuality as found
in Mazda’s current lineup.
"Mazda's recent resurgence is due in large part to
the implementation of the
KODO design language,”
says Steven Tan, President
and CEO of Berjaya Auto
Philippines, the exclusive distributors of Mazda vehicles
in the country. “Because of
KODO, we have car models
that not only express dynamic motion but also elegance
and style, traits that make
Mazda vehicles standout
among its peers,” adds Tan.
The "Bike by KODO concept" is a track racer that
seeks to express the innate
beauty of the bicycle. Its
minimalist structure is composed of the least possible
number of parts. The frame
was painstakingly formed
by hammering a single
sheet of steel and the black
Sofa by KODO Concept
Bike by KODO Concept
leather saddle is handstitched, featuring the same
red thread and stitch design
as found in the all-new Mazda MX-5. The bicycle's mixture of dynamism and allure is evocative of the Mazda MX-5's styling.
The "Sofa by KODO concept" is a collaborative effort between Mazda designers and Italian furniture
makers. It exhibits an
exquisite blend of Mazda
Design's refined sensibilities and fine Italian craftsmanship backed by a long
tradition of furniture making. The form of the sofa is
as honed as the lines of
Mazda’s latest car models. It
also evokes the strong
stance common to the new-
generation KODO-inspired
Mazda collection.
“KODO has instigated a
variety of design collaborations coming from the automotive sphere,” says Tan.
He adds, “Mazda Philippines recently collaborated
with renowned Filipino
fashion designer Mark
Bumgarner to create a line
of dresses for the 2015
Manila International Auto
Show. His interpretations of
KODO as presented in the
Mazda Collection fashion
show have been a stunning
visual showcase and they
demonstrate how Mazda’s
new design language transcends sheet metal and permeates into real world practicality.