8th PH INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW
After four years away from the spotlight, the Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) is making a comeback this year to showcase the new generation of Philippine motoring.
Presented by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI), the biennial auto show kicks off today (Thursday) at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
In its eighth edition, PIMS boasts of this year’s theme, “Mobility + Humanity: Innovating for the Common Good.”
It will feature the latest car innovations and technologies from the country’s largest manufacturers and distributors.
Aiming to bounce back from its four-year break due to the pandemic, CAMPI’s upcoming motor show centers around sustainability and electrification as the main themes of the event.
“We aim to unite and drive our collective efforts towards a united mission of building a better and more sustainable future for Filipinos through mobility. We will accomplish this by coming together to showcase the positive impact of sustainable and future-ready innovations on our day-to-day lives,” CAMPI President Attorney Rommel Gutierrez said during the event’s press conference.
Thirteen automotive brands, namely Kia, BMW, Foton, Mazda, Honda, Isuzu, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Toyota, will showcase their latest vehicles and technologies during the four-day event.
CAMPI’s newest members Chery, Geely, and Hyundai, will also be joining for the first time.
Members of CAMPI promised to continue spreading the word about hybrid vehicles in the country for a more sustainable future.
“In line with our road to recovery, we are happy to bring back the much-awaited Philippine International Motor Show, gathering the industry’s biggest car manufacturers to showcase how the latest vehicles and mobility innovations can drive us towards a better and more sustainable future,” added Gutierrez.
“This year’s motor show introduces the theme Mobility + Humanity: Innovating for the Common Good, in other words, we do not consider not just the innovation (of mobility), but we are also mindful of what the customers need and what’s good for the people as well,” he added.
A quick historical ride
CAMPI first launched its first-ever Philippine International Motor Show on August 9, 2007, at the same venue. With the theme “Shifting to Higher Gear,” it aimed to “reaffirm the local auto industry’s strength as an integral part of the growing regional automotive landscape.”
From then on, every two years, the auto show opened its doors to car enthusiasts and buyers for exclusive car launches and car displays from respective brands.
After the successful introductory motor show, CAMPI hosted its 2nd PIMS at the World Trade Center. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was the keynote speaker and commended CAMPI’s theme Drive The Future Towards Safer and Cleaner Motoring.
Keeping up with the greener theme, the third installment of PIMS, Drive the Greed Road, gave manufacturers a chance to display their all-green technologies in front of former president and car enthusiast Benigno Aquino Jr.
The 4th Philippine International Motor Show, on the other hand, revolved around distinctive vehicles, unlike previous PIMS, where the general thrust was eco-friendly machines. CAMPI’s decision to focus on driving excitement led to that year’s motif of Drive the Fun.
The fifth edition of the Philippine International Motor Show highlighted the growth of the national economy as it bode well for the automotive industry and the total GDP of the country, hence the name of the theme “Progress in Motion.” The automotive sector gained more than P120 billion in investments and provided jobs for almost 500,000 workers in the auto, ancillary, and support industries.
Trailing the tracks of the last roundabout, the 6th staging of the Philippine International Motor Show called “Steer the Future” with the tagline “CAMPI: Driving Progress, Empowering Society,” put the spotlight on the automotive industry’s valuable contributions to the advancement of the country and its economy.
Before the unprecedented challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and eventual hiatus, CAMPI opened the 7th PIMS in 2018 with the concept of ‘Future Mobility’ while looking to promote a dynamic interaction between the arts and positive technology.
Like all the previous editions of PIMS, this year’s motor show will feature exclusive car launches and car displays in different brand booths and presentations from the manufacturers.
As the Philippine International Motor Show raised its curtain again, CAMPI always believed in the power of the motoring industry’s role not only in contributing to economic growth and progression, but also to the sustainable future for the common good of Filipinos through mobility.