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A Mercedes-Benz taxi in Singapore

 Mercedes-Benz
Taxi???
By Charles Liao

Are you familiar with the auto

manufacturer Scion? No? How about TVR?
Citroen? Lotus? Fiat? Smart? (No, I’m not
kidding… there really is a company called
Smart.) If you answered no to most of those
question, no one can blame you. For years,
the Philippine car industry has hesitated to
bring in cars from these foreign
manufacturers, because according to them,
there isn’t a big enough market for these This is probably why local dealers often
cars. They do have a point, but what about release their new models months, or even
the people who do want to purchase them? years after they are released in countries
like the U.S.A. or Japan.
Up until now, most of us Filipinos can
only dream of acquiring a Mercedes-Benz
for themselves, while in nearby Singapore, a A good example is the Nissan X-
Mercedes-Benz is ‘just’ an ordinary taxi. It’s Trail, which was released in Japan during
amazing how far behind our auto industry the last quarter of 2001. We only got it in
has fallen compared to other Asian 2004. The Mitsubishi Endeavor has been in
countries. When I went to Singapore two the U.S. market since 2003, but we only got
years ago, I was shocked when our taxi it last year. My point is, the Philippines isn’t
driver said, “Here in our country, you can exactly the best place to buy a new car if
only own your car for ten years. After that, you are a prospective buyer. With the
it’s crushed and turned into scrap metal”. current status of our economy, there is
nothing much we can do about it. If people
don’t have any money, why bother releasing
I actually thought he was joking, for
something no one will buy? This is exactly
if you did this in the Philippines, people
what car companies have been trying to tell
would think you were out of your mind.
us for years. Well, that’s about it. At this
Could you imagine tearing up a perfectly
point in time, we can only hope that this
good BMW or Audi? Just the thought of it
industry will change for the better, for the
would be absolutely crazy, with our
sake of future generations.
country’s already weak economy.

Newsboyz PHILIPPINES page one

 SMUGGLING PRIDE The same kind of activity has also been
WhyBySome Cars
Charles Liao going on in Subic for the past few years, but
business has recently slowed due to the
Aren’t Made For The numerous crackdowns and investigations
Due Philippines
to the ever-increasing prices of conducted by the local government. But still, if
cars in the Philippines, and a relative lack of you have the time, patience, and guts for it,
By Miguel Menchaca
performance vehicles in our market, as there is always a way to get the car of your
mentioned in my previous article, more and dreams for less than the price of a new Kia.
more Filipino auto enthusiasts are turning to However, like any good deal in this world,
illegally smuggled cars from Japan. Most of there are always some drawbacks. In the case
you may have noticed the recent destruction of these supposedly ‘surplus’ vehicles, some of
of some Many seizedpeople
vehicles think that itby
in Subic would
the be local A Ferrari burning
the consequences can beon the SLEX
downright scary. First
really good to
government, own athey
where nice sports
crushed carperfectly
like a of all, since Japan is a right-hand-drive (RHD)
goodLamborghini
Lincolns and or aBMWs
Ferrariwith hereainbackhoe.
the country, meaning
The next reasonthewhy steering
having wheel
sports is
ButPhilippines
the question butis,little do they
if this kindknow that is
of activity cars here in the Philippines is not a good instead
positioned on the right side of the car idea
this would be a very bad and inconvenient
illegal, then why do Filipinos still keep buying
idea.Japanese
Here are‘surplus’
some of the many is ofthetherisk
left,of some
gettingof into
theseancars have or
accident been
these cars? Thereasons
answer is haphazardly converted to left-hand-drive
crashing the car. Since these cars are built to
simple: a huge amount why.of road presence for (LHD), sincespeeds,
it is impossible
travel in high the safety oftothose
register
who an
an amazingly low price. Us Filipinos have RHD car here.
drive them is at great risk. We will never
always been For one known thing,forCarsbeing like theseofare
proud our
built to go on high speeds. If they don’t, know when something bad will happen that
achievements, and this trait of ours naturally Absolutely anything can go wrong.
their engine will lead one to crash his car and maybe even
extends to ourwill cars.not beamazing
It is able to that functionmany Since my family owns one of these converted
lose his or her life. Plus, here in the
properly and it may get
of these smuggled cars are able to slip ruined or even cars, I experience all of these risks firsthand
destroyed. Here unnoticed
in the Philippines, where of Philippines, there are many wild untrained
through customs into the hands everyday. Reversed switches, controls and
traffic may be found in almost every drivers who only care about themselves when
their lucky new owners. buttons are the most common problems, and
corner,Because
there are driving which increases the risk of crashing
of their low prices, to
very limited place go
people these are not so bad yet. If you happen to have
into one another. In fact, not too long ago,
on high
don’t seemspeedsto care to be able toabout
anymore maintain the
the car’s purchased a really bad car, it could have
engine of a sports car. In addition, if a there was a very terrible accident where in a
history. For example, in Cebu, a notorious problems with the steering, brakes, lights,
person were Ferrari crashed into another car while driving
smuggling hubto buywhere a nice
all sports
sorts of car,vehicles
he or suspension, and most commonly, electrical
at high speeds in the skyway along SLEX. For
smuggled into the country from Japan three
she would have to spend at least can be problems. I for one have experienced things
the person driving the other car, this accident
times trucks,
found; a week buses, going on a skyway or
construction any
vehicles, like wipers going in the wrong direction,
was not so bad because he didn’t spend much
and of course, high-performance cars areonall
other place where one is allowed to go windows which open but not close, and worst,
on his car but for the person driving the
highup
lined speeds
in thejuststreets
to be able
readytofor maintain
the buying the doors on the wrong side. Also, if the police
engine of the car. This will take up one’s Ferrari, this was a very horrible and
public. There is probably no other place in notice that your car is registered with a “Y” or
precious time which depressing accident because he spent so much
the Philippines where many you can Filipinos
purchase can’t a “Visayas only” plate number, they can arrest
money to buy his Ferrari. Another incident
afford to waste.
BMW 5-Series for only 195,000 pesos, or a you, for quite obvious reasons I must say. My
would be the car crash that took place near
nice Mercedes-Benz E-Class for 200,000 point is, the choice is really up to you. Would
The second Lancer reason concerns Tagaytay. While one person was driving a
pesos. Mitsubishi Evolutions,the a you buy a luxurious and fast smuggled car, and
brand new Porsche on the way to tagaytay on
extra expenses one
favorite car among local rallyistswill have to pay andwhen drag compromise your on-road safety and risk
buyingcan a nice a rainy day a few years ago, he lost control of
racers, be sports
had for car.theThissameis connected
price you being arrested? Or would you rather buy a
the car because he was going too fast on the
to ourpay
would firstforreason. As saidLancer
a normal earlier,here thesein safe, reliable locally available car, which no
types of wet road and swerved off the road and
Manila. Thecars are versions
earliest made tocould go on be high
going one will notice? The choice is yours, my friend.
crashed into a tree. The man was all right but
speeds and, to be able to
for as low as 160,000 pesos. I mean, who maintain the cars
engine, one that?
will have his brand new Porsche, which costs millions of
could resist Taketo yourdo this at least
pick, guys, pesos, was completely destroyed.
three times a week or maybe
almost anything you want could be arranged even more.
forThis willhave
if you obviously
the rightcostcontacts.
a lot of moneyEven ultra-for
gas which we alllike know is really These are some of the reasons why it is
exotic supercars Ferraris andexpensive
Porsches not really a good idea to own a sports car here
nowadays.
have been known to cross these borders. in the Philippines. I guess some cars just
aren’t made for our country.

Newsboyz PHILIPPINES page two

Newsboyz PHILIPPINES page three
 But it isn’t just a patrol car for chasing
wrung-out Fiats, Alfa Romeos and the
occasional Ferrari. The Police-liveried
Gallardo also doubles as a super-fast
response car, with the ability to be the
first on the scene of a serious accident.

It carries life saving medical equipment

such as a defibrillator to revive car crash
victims, and is used as a high-speed
shuttle to transport organs between
hospitals. Best of all is that with four-
wheel-drive sending all 500 horses into
the road, the Gallardo patrol car can be
used all year round in all weathers.

This would be an excellent police car to

Lamborghini Police have here in the Philippines, but as you
all know the government can not afford
Car… Don’t Even Try To these types of things so until this
Run! happens, we just need to pray that the
By Miguel Menchaca police will be able to catch lawbreakers.
 Here in the Philippines, most lawbreakers
don’t get caught by the police for many
different reasons. One of these reasons is
the fact that the police cars here are way
too old and slow. How do the policemen
here even think they can catch a
lawbreaker when the lawbreaker’s car is
faster then theirs? They have no chance at
all to catch the bad guys with the cars that
they use. The lawbreakers will have no
trouble at all out running the cops. In
Italy however, the police cars are very
different.

From the country that has the world’s

greatest concentration of supercar
manufacturers comes the world’s fastest
cop car. Yes, the lucky Italian cops have a
Lamborghini Gallardo at their disposal, a
genuine police car used by the Italian
Carabinieri to patrol the Salerno-Reggio
Calabria highway outside Rome – Don’t
even try to run! Prime hunting ground
indeed, because its 5.0-litre V10 will grant
it 193mph flat out and a tarmac-ruining 0-
60mph time of around four seconds. Lets
see those lawbreakers try to run from the
cops now!

Newsboyz PHILIPPINES page four

 M I G U E L M E N C H A C A

Juan Miguel G. Menchaca is usually called Jorge by his classmates. He is presently 15

years old. He is into many sports including baseball, basketball and football. I like playing
many video games including halo, Grand Theft Auto, and Guitar Hero. His favorite subject
in school is math, and his favorite computer game is DotA. He also enjoys going to the mall
and hanging out with his friends. He loves to watch movies and eat out with his family. On
certain days, he sleeps over in his other friends’ homes which is also really fun according to
him. These are the things that Miguel loves to do.

C H A R L E S L I A O

Charles Edward E. Liao was born on June 29, 1992, and he has one brother. But enogh
about the facts. Most people consider him as just a smart, responsible guy, but under the
surface, there is still much to learn about him. For one, he is a dedicated car enthusiast, and
many of his close friends know that he has been one ever since he was a little kid. He even
learned how to drive when he was still in Grade 6, and he has been regularly practicing ever
since. Moreover, He has been studying at the Ateneo since prep, and that amounts to just over
ten years. The happiest years of his life were spent at this school, and he has absolutely no
regrets up to this day for choosing to enroll here. However, a lot of people also know that
Math is his most hated subject, unlike Miguel, but in spite of this, He still manages to strike a
perfect balance between both my academic and social life. Well, that’s basically it; he may not
be perfect, but at least he gives his best in everything that he does.

Newsboyz PHILIPPINES page five