Toyota PH opens Batangas Vehicle Center to improve car delivery to dealers, customers

MANILA: Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP) has officially inaugurated the Batangas Vehicle Center (BVC) today, September 24. The new facility is considered by the company as a new milestone that will contribute towards fast-tracking economic growth through the automotive industry.

The construction of the P4.7-billion facility proves TMP’s strong confidence in the local automotive industry as it moves toward full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. With the newly inaugurated BVC, TMP ensures promised delivery time and quality of Toyota vehicles for dealers and customers.

The 32-hectare logistics center is strategically located six kilometers away from the Port of Batangas, making it faster to receive imported vehicles from international vessels. It has a pre-delivery inspection and post-production installation amenity that can annually accommodate 160,000 vehicle units with a stockyard that can hold 4,500 units at a time. BVC uses RFID-tagging technology in an integrated management system for real-time vehicle tracking.

In his opening remarks during the inauguration event, TMP Chairman Alfred Ty emphasized the brand’s contributions to the country’s economy. According to him, TMP was able to maintain the local production of Vios and Innova and safeguard the employment of around 40,000 Filipinos in its total value chain despite the temporary lockdowns.

“Motor vehicle sales and services was one of the key sectors that contributed to the 11.8% growth in gross domestic product in the second quarter of this year,” Ty stated.

Ty also commended the government for the timely resolution of the petition for safeguard measures, for considering the extension of Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) program, and for recognizing the mobility sector as essential services.

“This Batangas Vehicle Center is our renewed commitment to better days ahead. This is part of our joint efforts with the government, business sector and Filipino people to win the war against COVID-19 and build a better tomorrow, together,” Ty added.

The challenges brought by the pandemic did not hinder TMP from pursuing its goal of establishing a vehicle center to make the preparations and delivery of Toyota vehicles to its dealers nationwide more efficient and well-organized.

TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto also emphasized in his speech that the operation of BVC is vital in the company's distribution network as it helps address the increasing market demands.

With the inauguration of the BVC, the Santa Rosa Vehicle Center will be dedicated to the increasing completely knocked down (CKD) Vios and Innova models that will cater the growing customer demand for locally made Toyota vehicles.

The BVC is equipped with sustainable features that prioritize human safety in each process and employ responsible practices for zero or net positive impact to environment.

The vehicle processing lines and service and office areas observe the “Safe, Clean, & Bright” guidelines and COVID-19 health protocols to ensure everyone’s safety in the workplace. Major design principles at core facilities were created in collaboration with Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan.

The BVC comes with 18 covered truck lanes for vehicle loading and unloading. This weather-proof structure was designed to ensure safety, considering the weather conditions in the country. This design is also applied at Santa Rosa VLC, making TMP the first among Toyota logistics facilities to have such a structure in the Asia Pacific region after Japan.

The BVC also comes with a sewage treatment plant and a material recovery facility for proper management of water and wastes. There is also a six-hectare parcel of land dedicated to greening and afforestation to develop biodiversity in the area.

TMP is also planning to include the use of solar energy, rainwater harvesting, and flood control features on its new facility. Overall, the BVC has 26% land area dedicated for environmental management and conservation.

Photos from Toyota Motor Philippines

Also read: A job well done for Team Toyota in Tokyo 2020