Despite a setback from Tropical Storm Mario, the 5th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) held last Thursday to Sunday, September 18 to September 21, at the World Trade Center was its most successful yet, nearly doubling its foot traffic from the previous PIMS in 2012.

The four-day motoring exhibit closed early on Friday because of heavy rainfall and flooding across the metro. However, the 5th PIMS bounced back during the weekend, closing with over 90,000 visitors that spread across only three and a half days.

This year’s motor show is also the largest in terms of the number of exhibitors with a total of 17 participating car manufacturers and distributors, namely: BAIC, BMW, Daewoo, Honda, Isuzu, JEEP, JMC, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Suzuki, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

“True to this year’s theme of ‘Progress in Motion’, the 5th PIMS is the perfect reflection of the industry’s robust performance in recent years. We at CAMPI are elated at the success of the 5th PIMS and we recognize that this is made possible by the joint support of the CAMPI members and affiliates, our government partners, stakeholders and of course, the general motoring public,” said Atty. Rommel Gutierrez, President of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI), the industry organization behind the biennial event.

Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV, CAMPI’s Guest of Honor at the opening ceremony, expressed his unwavering support of CAMPI’s initiatives and of the automotive industry as a whole. “The problem as we all know is the traffic and the worsening environment. We need to be able to work together so that all of these can move forward together—so that the progress that we want to have will not be one versus the other, but instead all together as one people,” said Senator Aquino.
The 5th PIMS was also attended by the delegates of the ASEAN Automotive Product Working Group (APWG), a committee which plays a significant role towards achieving the objectives of the ASEAN Economic Community.

Atty. Gutierrez added that the success of the 5th PIMS was also measured by how much the visitors have enjoyed the brand displays and presentations. Aside from the impressive booths and exciting car launches, the exhibitors made sure that the spectators were engaged by competent product professionals and models.

“We are overwhelmed by the response of this year’s crowd. We heard stories of visitors who drove all the way from nearby provinces, while some who came from as far as Baguio, stayed in Manila for a few days just to attend the 5th PIMS,” said Atty. Gutierrez.

“With the success of the 5th PIMS, we are positive that the future of the Philippine automotive industry will continue to get even brighter,” Atty. Gutierrez concluded.