President Ferdinand R. “Bongbong” Marcos recently got a taste of Toyota’s Beyond Zero initiative as he took the wheel of the hydrogen-powered Corolla Cross H2 Concept at the Malacañan Palace. In addition, he was also presented with the next-generation Tamaraw as a sign of Toyota’s continued commitment to the local automotive manufacturing industry.

President Marcos expressed his appreciation for Toyota’s continued investment in the Philippines, particularly the recent P 5.5 billion-investment in the production of the Philippine-made next generation Tamaraw, also known regionally as the Toyota Innovative International Multi-Purpose Vehicle (IMV) 0 (Zero). This investment encompasses vehicle production, parts localization, and the establishment of a new in-house vehicle conversion capability, further solidifying TMP's contributions to sustaining the viability of automotive and parts manufacturing industries in the country and furthermore enabling Mobility for All through the easily convertible, Tamaraw.

During the courtesy call of Toyota Motor Asia and TMP’s top officials at the Palace, the mobility leader displayed prototype conversion units of the Tamaraw, demonstrating its versatility and adaptability to the needs of Filipinos. Returning as a light commercial vehicle, TMP presented its aim to revive this iconic model into the next ‘national car’ by catering to specialized conversion needs of various Philippine Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and individuals.

At the same event, President Marcos received a letter of intent from TMP for its planned donation of five Tamaraw units, which will be converted and turned over to the government in 2025. These include five ambulances which will be used to support various mobility needs through the “Lab For All” health program of the First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos.

Reinforcing Toyota’s global commitment to Carbon Neutrality, the company introduced its “Beyond Zero” movement to the government. This corporate initiative supports the Philippine government's direction toward a clean energy and low carbon economy transition, aligning with key national policies related to the transportation sector such as the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) and Philippine Energy Plan.

TMP also used the occasion to present the Corolla Cross H2 Concept developed by Toyota GAZOO Racing (TGR) in Japan. This Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle (HICEV) utilized hydrogen gas supplied by a local producer and filled through a Hydrogen Refueling Station (HRS) exclusively imported from an end-use application provider in Malaysia.

“For Toyota’s point of view, we would like to provide the most suitable vehicle technology for the country’s specific energy strategy. Matching multi-pathways with energy, Toyota has many powertrains available and currently being developed,” said Toyota Asia Region chief executive officer Masahiko Maeda.

Recognizing the country’s abundant resources, TMP also emphasized the potential of diversifying energy resources to develop related industries and complement the decarbonization goals of various sectors, including transportation. With Toyota’s widest array of xEV powertrain technologies, hydrogen has the potential to be one of the advanced alternative energy sources that presents the possibility of zero CO2  emissions.

Beyond its commitment to decarbonize the entire vehicle life cycle—from raw materials sourcing, manufacturing, distribution to recycling cars and batteries—TMP stated it is also diversifying sustainable mobility with xEV usership services and exploring the benefits of data solutions and connected technology for travel or logistic efficiency resulting in CO2 reduction.