Last May 9, 2014 at the Esplanade in the Mall of Asia, Korean auto giant Hyundai formally turned over the Grand Santa Fe and Grand Starex units to be used as official transport for the ASEAN Finance Ministers’ Investor Seminar (AFMIS) that will be held on May 20, 2014, and the 23rd World Economic Forum on East Asia (WEF-EA) on May 21-23. It is the first time that the Philippines plays host to the WEF-EA.

At the turnover ceremony were Hyundai executives led by Mr. Hoo-Keun Kim, Head of Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) Asia and Pacific Regional Office; Hyundai Asia and Resources, Inc. (HARI) Board members led by President and CEO Ms. Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo; and Department of Finance (DOF) officials led by National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon, and USec Gil Beltran.

Eleven Hyundai Grand Santa Fe units will be at the service of finance ministers of the 10 member countries of the ASEAN for the AFMIS, while 52 Grand Starex units have been appointed to transport official WEF-EA 2014 delegates.

Hyundai clearly has the edge for the job ahead, having been the official mobility partner of the 45th Asian Development Bank (ADB) Annual Meeting of Board of Governors last April 2012. A fleet of Hyundai Grand Starex units transported 4,000 delegates, including Finance and Economic Ministers from 67 ADB member countries.


Mr. Kim congratulated the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines for this milestone, saying, “The Philippines has been a consistent contributor to the growth of the Hyundai brand in Asia-Pacific… proof to (HARI’s) achievements and its commitment to drive forward the Philippine economy.”

While Ms. Agudo affirmed, “True to our commitment to support the drive of the National Government toward sustainable inclusive growth, we look forward to the establishment of a fair, transparent, and competitive market that fosters competition and upholds consumer welfare. This is an advocacy closest to the heart of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. as a major player in the Philippine automotive industry.

In the spirit of the Hyundai brand slogan “New Thinking. New Possibilities.”, we join the entire Filipino business community in our shared aspiration to take the region forward and redefine it in the ASEAN way.”
In addition, the Hyundai executives expressed excitement about having the movers and shakers in global finance and business scene experience up-close the Premium features of the Grand Santa Fe and the Grand Starex, optimistic that as the Philippines tells the world of its amazing ongoing growth track, Hyundai will also be there to tell its own success story in shaping the landscape of the Philippine auto industry, and what it has set to achieve in the future.