Seen as a foil to the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI), the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) was founded in 2010.

At the time, it was anchored by then Hyundai Philippine distributor, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. or HARI. With the distributorship of the Korean auto brand going back to the mother company under Hyundai Motor Philippines (HMPH) and long-time AVID member Geely jumping ship to CAMPI, some doubts were raised on whether AVID would continue on existing.

Apparently, that answer is yes.

Today, AVID counts the following brands under its umbrella: Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BYD, Changan, Chevrolet, Ford, GAC, Hyundai Trucks & Buses, JAC, Lamborghini, Lotus, MINI, Piaggio, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Subaru, Suzuki (also a member of CAMPI), and Volvo. That’s a total of 19 brands under 12 distributor companies.

As a way of forging a stronger 2023, the group held an official meeting followed by their traditional Landscape Industry Forum for the year wherein they engage guest experts in an informal industry briefing.

This year, AVID invited Mr. Gerrit W. Kuyntjes, Partner of the Mondriaan Group, who tackled post-pandemi challenges and opportunities in the automotive industry; Mr. Marrione Pol Camacho, Head of Business Development of the Embiggen Group, who shared projections on current and future trends in mobility; and finally, Department of Energy Undersecretary and Director of the Energy Utilization Management Bureau Patrick T. Aquino, who reported on the status of the country’s roadmap for the electric vehicle industry.

Said AVID President Maria Fe Perez-Agudo, “We are back together as AVID, the true and relevant voice of Philippine auto importers. Counting on the strength of our individual brands and strong demand, we are here ready to heed and respond to consumer calls for mobility solutions that best suit the need of the times.”