The significant gains quietly established by the corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects of the automotive companies will be given the recognition they deserve soon to encourage more efforts to help communities around the country.

The Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists (SPMJ) has taken this task as its new advocacy to strengthen community service in the motoring industry.  Unknown to many, automotive companies have engaged in various CSR projects that after years of quiet work, have established many success stories in the communities.  The projects have revolved around the preservation of the environment, education and training, and community development.

“I have worked with the industry for almost three decades and I am aware that many players are seriously involved in CSR initiatives, choosing to do those projects without much fanfare. SPMJ strongly feels that it is about time that such laudable efforts be recognized to further inspire others to do the same,” said SPMJ founding chairman Ray Butch Gamboa who is also the chairman and ceo of Sunshine TV and one of the pioneers in the motoring beat.

Pinky Concha Colmenares, SPMJ president and executive editor, Manila Bulletin, said the SPMJ has already launched the committee work for the CSR awards project.  The awards will be evaluated by the committees and will be judged by a panel of respected experts in their fields of specializations, she explained.

“We are journalists and we aim to use our skills and network to help communities by inspiring automotive companies to continue to be ‘driven to serve’,” Colmenares said.

The public will soon learn more about the communities and people who have been transformed by the CSR projects through the stories of the SPMJ members.

The SPMJ was founded in 2002, by a group of motoring journalists who shared the same intention to help people.  Its first project was the “Road Safety for Children” which conducted workshops on the safe use of roads to students and teachers.  The project also produced a manual for teaching road safety to children which were given to schools after workshops were done.

The members of SPMJ are: Anjo Perez (motoring editor-Manila Times), Brian Afuang (motoring editor-BusinessWorld), Vernon Sarne (EIC-Top Gear), Jenny Bleza-Pineda (vp production-Sunshine Television), Ron delos Reyes (producer/host-Auto Review and Malaya), Erle Sebastian (writer-Sunshine Television), Manny Delos Reyes (motoring editor-Philippine Star), Ira Panganiban (EIC-Wheels Magazine), Dino Directo (writer-Manila Standard Today), Vince Pornelos (Associate Editor-C!Magazine & EIC-Autoindustriya), Inigo Roces (motoring editor-Manila Bulletin), Ulysses Ang (columnist-Philippine Star & EIC-CarGuide Philippines), Brent Co (gm/editor-Autoindustriya), Kap Aguila (columnist-Philippine Star), Eric Tipan (contributing writer-Manila Bulletin), Aris Ilagan (EIC-Balita), Robby Consunji (contributing writer-Top Gear), Gamboa, and Colmenares.