Ford Philippines’ pickup trucks are fast becoming the vehicle of choice among entrepreneurs and professionals in Davao City.
EJ Francisco, assistant vice president for Communications for Ford Philippines, revealed that Ford’s pickup truck line is their very strong portfolio and growth-driver in the main gateway city in the south.
“We are very strong in terms of pickups sale in Davao City and this is driving our business here. There is a lot of demands for pickups and we have 12 pickup variants in our portfolio that caters to different budget, lifestyle, or need and one of the things that we are proud about is our Ranger Raptor which is our performance pickup,” Francisco said in an interview during the press conference for Ford Philippines’ Driving Skills For Life (DSFL) in Davao.
Francisco said the bulk of Ford’s market in Davao particularly for pickups is composed of professionals and entrepreneurs because they feel it is a perfect partner for their day-to-day grind for both work and personal use.
“A lot of entrepreneurs and professionals probably in the 20-year-old to 35-year- old demographic. Majority are males as these are the decision makers when it comes to car,” he said.
Francisco also revealed that based on the nationwide reference, they see a growing number of female and wives who are now becoming decision makers in the purchase of SUVs.
Meantime, Ford Philippines reiterated its commitment of “making roads better and making more informed and safer drivers” that is why it is bringing back its DSFL in Davao City aiming to educate 200 to 300 drivers to become safer and more responsible while on the road. Now on its third year in Davao, DSFL is slated on December 3 at Home Crest Hotel with two training sessions.
DSFL is a training program that is pioneered by Ford all over the world and it is something that we have been doing in the Philippines for the past 12 years,” said Francisco.
This year, Ford is looking to partner with taxi, bus, Transport Network vehicle service (TNVS) companies as well as with traffic management bureaus and colleges and universities within Davao to reach more drivers and still to them the importance of road safety- either as a driver or as part of the commuting public.
“It’s really those who are always on the road. Students they may not be necessarily drivers but they can one way or another they have relatives or within their networks have cars,” he said.
The company is also reaching out to various call center companies to enjoin its employees as DSFL participants and train them to become road safety advocates. Ford is also tapping its customers in its dealerships and Ford car clubs in Davao to make them part of the training.
Ford’s biggest corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, DFSL is now on its 12th year in the Philippines and has successfully trained over 23,000 Filipino drivers since 2008. The said program is a combination of classroom training that includes modules on vehicle handling, driving in special conditions, anti-distracted driving, and fuel-efficient driving as well as a hands-on driving simulation that allows participating drivers to apply their learnings from the classroom sessions.
