Toyota taps Filipino trainers for Asian workforce
Japanese automotive giant Toyota Motor Corp. has selected the Philippines as the training base for its body, paint and estimation (BPE) instructors in Asia as part of a program designed to help sharpen after-sales skills across the region.
As host of the first regional technical training, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) led theoretical and practical sessions for instructors from Toyota affiliates in Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Pakistan at its manufacturing plant in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
TMP said its selection by Toyota Motor Asia (TMA) as the regional training center was a vote of confidence in the capabilities of Filipino instructors.
“Upon holding a training capability assessment, the regional headquarters recognized TMP Filipino instructors’ expertise and leadership in training delivery, as well as the company’s adequate facilities and equipment, as essential in the success of the flagship program,” the company said in a statement.
The first leg of the BPE Regional Training ran from Sept. 7 to Sept. 18, during which instructors trained in skills such as damage assessment, panel repair and welding techniques.
The program was initiated by Toyota Motor Corp. to standardize after-sales skills across its Asian markets, based on the automaker’s globalcompetency standards.
TMP is expected to conduct three training courses during the program’s first year to accommodate instructors from Toyota affiliates across Asia. The partnership is slated to run until 2029.
“Through the program, TMP’s Filipino trainers now play a key role in the development of the automotive industry in Asia, serving as standard-bearers and trainers for reliable vehicle care in the region,” TMP said.
This year, TMP’s BPE team earned two global Toyota certifications from TMA covering paint and estimation instruction, with further training lined up through 2027.
Toyota assembles Vios, Tamaraw and Innova models at its Laguna plant.
TMP expects local production to reach nearly 60,000 units in 2026, down from 63,804 units in 2025, primarily due to weak demand amid macroeconomic pressures, including elevated fuel prices.
