Toyota Tamaraw, Coaster join NIA fleet
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) plays a vital role in helping the Philippines’ agricultural sector.
This government-owned- and-controlled corporation, which was established in June 1963 under Republic Act 3601, is responsible for the country’s irrigation development and management. As of press time, it operates under the Agriculture Department and primarily constructs and maintains national irrigation systems to help farmers nationwide.
To help with NIA’s vital work in national food security, the government on Monday officially turned over 229 operations and maintenance vehicles worth nearly P800 million – this is the third tranche of the agency’s latest refleeting program, which already includes 289 new units of wheeled excavators, trailer trucks and dumpers worth over P1.5 billion.
This latest turnover, which was led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Pasay City, includes 17 Toyota Coaster mini-buses and 17 Toyota Tamaraw survey vehicles costing around P91.8 million. The transaction was facilitated by the Toyota Otis dealership of the illustrious Oben Group.
“With these vehicles and equipment, there is food on our tables and our agriculture sector will be stronger,” the President said in a speech.
“Our farmers are facing greater challenges because of climate change – more intense heat, stronger rain and constantly changing weather,” he added. “This is why we’re focusing on preparations, whether in dry or wet season. My request to all the NIA staff is that you always properly use and take care of these vehicles.”
Return of the legend
It seems fitting that one of the vehicles in NIA’s refleeting program is named after one of the country’s most iconic farm animals.
The new Tamaraw was launched in the Philippines last December 2024 and is built on Toyota’s new International Multi-Purpose Vehicle 0 or IMV-0 platform. It is available in either short-wheelbase (SWB) or long-wheelbase (LWB), as well as dropside, utility-van and aluminum-van configurations.
All SWB models get a 2.0-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine producing 137 horsepower and 183 Newton-meters of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual. Meanwhile, the LWB variants come with a 2.4-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 turbodiesel pumping out 148 horsepower and 343 Newton-meters of torque for the 5-speed manual or 400 Newton-meters of torque for the 6-speed automatic.
And much like the beast of burden, the latest iteration of the Tamaraw plays a critical role in the Philippine economy – Toyota Motor Corporation invested P5.5 billion in its manufacturing plant in Santa Rosa, Laguna to achieve an initial production target of 20,000 units annually, joining the popular Vios subcompact sedan as the country’s second domestically produced Toyota model.
Decades of proven service
Joining the Tamaraw in its important duties for NIA is another iconic model – the Coaster.
This minibus has been in continuous production worldwide since 1969, proving itself as a tough and versatile vehicle for its ability to carry a considerable number of passengers and cargo through rough terrain without the bulk of a traditional bus.
The latest generation of the Coaster (only the fourth in over 55 years of production) made its global debut in December 2016. It is available in the Philippines as a 29-seater model and is powered by a 4.0-liter, overhead-valve, 16-valve inline-4 diesel engine producing 134 horsepower and 390 Newton-meters of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Besides the familiar snorkel air intake, ceiling-mounted air-conditioning and a microphone jack with amplifier, the Coaster gets a driver’s side airbag, anti-lock brakes (a rarity in large commercial vehicles), 3-point seatbelts for the front row and 2-point seatbelts for all the rear passengers.
Given the unimpeachable reliability of Toyota vehicles, the Tamaraw and Coaster should be a big help not only to NIA’s employees, but also to our hardworking farmers.
