Industry News
MDPPA Hits 1,000+ in Road Safety Mission
The Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association, Inc. (MDPPA) has trained over 1,000 individuals in road safety during the first half of 2025, continuing its strong push to promote responsible riding in the Philippines.
A total of 1,088 participants—from students to traffic enforcers and motorcycle riders—took part in the organization’s Road Safety Seminars. These sessions are part of MDPPA’s advocacy to create safer roads through awareness, education, and training.
The campaign began at the University of Makati, where MDPPA held two seminars. The first, on February 13, gathered 65 students from the College of Business and Financial Science and the Institute of Imaging Health Sciences. A larger group of 345 students from seven colleges followed on February 27.
On April 25, MDPPA expanded its reach to technical-vocational students at the Dualtech Training Center Foundation Inc., training 155 individuals on road safety fundamentals.
Traffic enforcers in Quezon City also benefited from the initiative. On May 15, 139 officers from the city’s Traffic and Transport Management Department received training on traffic direction, road discipline, and accident prevention.
MDPPA marked Road Safety Week on May 20 with a seminar co-hosted with the Land Transportation Office at Bulwagan Hall in Quezon City. This session focused on defensive riding and emotional control for 77 motorcycle riders.
Two days later, the association returned to Quezon City to train 232 LGU employees and riders, signaling strong local support for safety education.
Wrapping up the first half of the year, MDPPA held a session in partnership with the Tanay LGU on June 12, reaching 75 local residents with practical road safety knowledge.
“Through these seminars, we are shaping a safety-first mindset that resonates with every generation of riders,” said Michael Lopez, Chairperson of MDPPA’s Road Safety Committee.
More seminars are scheduled for the second half of the year.
MDPPA counts Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, and TVS among its members. It also runs the Tropang MAALAM campaign, focused on educating and empowering motorcycle riders to be responsible and alert road users.
The Philippine motorcycle market continues to rev up, recording another solid performance in the second quarter of 2025. Sales hit 910,923 units from April to June, up 4.8% from the 876,074 units in the same period last year, according to the Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association, Inc. (MDPPA).
Industry insiders point to the same winning formula: motorcycles remain affordable, fuel-efficient, and perfectly suited for weaving through Metro Manila’s notorious traffic.
These factors, paired with expanding delivery services and the need for personal mobility, have kept demand high.
Breaking down the numbers, the Automatic/Scooter segment is still king of the road, leading sales among all categories—moped, street, business, big bikes, and niche models. This dominance isn’t expected to change anytime soon, especially with financing options making ownership more accessible.
MDPPA, which counts Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, and TVS as members, expects the upward trend to hold through the rest of 2025. The group projects a 5% growth rate for the full year, supported by the country’s steady economic recovery.
The association is also pushing for safer roads through programs like Tropang MAALAM—a campaign that promotes rider education and awareness. For MDPPA, growth in sales should go hand-in-hand with responsible riding.
With more Filipinos embracing motorcycles for daily travel—whether for commuting, work, or leisure—the industry’s engine shows no signs of slowing down.
MANILA | After seven years, Ayala Corporation’s AC Industrials has officially ended its distributorship of Maxus vehicles in the Philippines, closing a chapter that started with the brand’s local launch in 2019. The decision, made jointly with China’s SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, was described as a “strategic step” for both companies to refocus on their core strengths amid shifting market dynamics.
Maxus entered the Philippine market under Ayala with vans like the G10 and V80, later adding the G50 MPV, D60 and D90 SUVs, and the T60 pickup. Some models have since evolved under SAIC’s other brand, MG, such as the G50 morphing into the G50 Plus and the upcoming re-entry of the D90. The T90 pickup is also set for a local debut as the TRQ.
For existing Maxus owners, it’s not the end of the road. Aftersales support will continue, with service bookings available via maxus.ph, and contact channels kept open for customer concerns.
Dana Uson, Head of Strategy at AC Industrials Mobility Group, said the company is proud to have contributed to Maxus’ local growth and reaffirmed its commitment to “innovative and sustainable mobility solutions” in the country. Meanwhile, SAIC’s Frank Wu thanked AC Industrials for laying a “strong foundation” for the brand in the Philippines.
Industry watchers weren’t entirely surprised. SAIC took direct control of MG’s Philippine operations in 2023, hinting that Maxus could eventually follow a similar path. For now, AC Industrials will focus on its other motoring brands, BYD, Kia, and Volkswagen, while SAIC continues to grow MG and possibly, one day, revive Maxus locally.
The announcement is rare in the auto industry, where most distributor shake-ups happen quietly, noticed only through shuttered dealerships and disappearing ads. This time, both parties went public—perhaps signaling a more open and competitive landscape ahead.
Lamborghini is in a legal showdown with one of its U.S. dealers, accusing it of selling high-end supercars to unauthorized middlemen — and in some cases, to individuals linked to “drug dealers and pimps.”
At the center of the dispute is Gold Coast Exotic Imports in Chicago, Illinois. The Italian carmaker claims the dealership breached its contract by selling at least 32 vehicles in 2023 to brokers instead of directly to retail buyers or other authorized dealers.
Court filings allege that some buyers had no intention of keeping the cars, flipping them instead for hefty profits. In one example, Lamborghini says a car went to someone previously convicted of fraud tied to laundering money through luxury car sales to criminal networks.
The brand also accuses Gold Coast of demanding off-the-books kickbacks worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for access to limited-edition models. Since 2019, Lamborghini claims to have paid the dealership over $4 million in incentive bonuses.
Gold Coast denies the allegations, countering that Lamborghini has withheld funds for showroom upgrades, failed to cover marketing costs, and is trying to push out its president, 81-year-old Joseph Perillo Sr. The dealership has taken its grievances to the Illinois Motor Vehicle Review Board.
Despite the heated exchanges, both sides told U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer they are in talks for an out-of-court settlement. If that fails, a trial could take place in December 2026.
This dispute follows another high-profile scandal involving Ferrari’s German dealer Mertel Italo Cars, accused of fraud and swiftly cut off by the brand. For Italy’s supercar makers, the twin controversies highlight the ongoing challenge of keeping their exclusive cars out of speculative or criminal hands — and protecting their carefully crafted image.
