Bicol’s heart is newest Chevy hub

FROM LEFT: Chevrolet Cam Sur Assistant Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Eugene Pachica; Sales Leader of Southeast Asia Distributor Operations, representing General Motors, Anatolio Enderez; HARI Director, Treasurer, and Chief Finance Officer, Ladislao Z. Avila, Jr.; HARI Vice Chairman, President, and CEO, Maria Fe Perez-Agudo; Mayor of the Municipality of Pili, Hon. Tomas O. Bongalonta; Dealer Principal, William Joseph B. Chiongbian II; Frontier Automotive Marilao Corporation (FAMC) President, Mark Andrew Chiongbian; and FAMC Managing Director, Maxwell C. Quilat

Camarines Sur is the center of adventure sports and eco-tourism in the Bicol Region, touted even as the “Sports and Adventure Capital of the Philippines.” Not only this, it is also the largest province of Bicol, contributing to around 33.4 percent of the region’s economy. Pili, together with the cities of Naga and Iriga, for one, has a tri-economy, which runs their livelihood through commerce, industry, and agriculture.

This, then, makes it the perfect place to open up the newest dealership of the Chevrolet Philippines. In turn, this newest development makes Bicolanos all the more yearn and look forward to the legendary American marque’s stable of vehicles and services.

Likewise, the Chevrolet Cam Sur dealership makes it the newest member of the fast-growing Chevrolet dealer network now under the wing of Hariphil Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI).

HARI vice chair, president and CEO, Maria Fe Perez-Agudo, was warmly welcomed by the people of Pili, led by its mayor, Hon. Tomas O. Bongalonta.

“Our presence in Bicol will make Chevrolet’s global tagline, ‘Together, Let’s Drive,’ a reality,” she expressed.

“As the newest member of the local business community, we are ready to be your partner in driving the economy of Cam Sur and pursue the noble aspirations of the Bicol Region.”

Located along Maharlika Highway, Zone 1, in San Jose, Pili, the newly-inaugurated dealership is operated by Frontier Automotive Marilao Corporation (FAMC) of the Chiongbian group — the new distributor’s business partner for more than 20 years.

Dealer principal, William Chiongbian, meanwhile, for his part, shared that expanding the brand’s presence in the area is strategic, given the current and future infrastructure plans developing Cam Sur into one of the country’s major growth centers for tourism and commerce. Together with other principals, they then vowed to add more value, serving and catering the mobility needs of the region.

“Things are looking up for Cam Sur. So, right here and now, we can already begin to add more value, serving and delighting the mobility needs of the Oragons and of the diverse markets who are visiting and who will be visiting this beautiful province,” one statement said.

The HARI head honcho then led the ceremonial unveiling of the dealership and pledged to bring the Chevrolet legacy of excellence to today’s diverse markets.

“We continue to live up to our legacy of excellence in new ways in order to respond to the needs of today’s diverse markets, without ever letting go of our founding vision, which is to get you to where you want to be in a fast, safe, and fun way,” she concluded.

Under her wing, the Chevrolet brand in the country has reinvigorated itself ever since she took over late last year. Since then, they have reported a significant breakthrough this year with 131-percent growth in the first half, surpassing the brand’s full year performance in 2023. Driving this surge are its beloved models: the Chevrolet Tracker, Camaro and Trailblazer.

HARI is backed by 25 years of automotive distribution and a commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles.