Auto manufacturers on track to sell 450,000 vehicles in 2017

As many as 450,000 new vehicles are expected to roam Philippine streets by the end of the year, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) said Thursday.

"We are targeting to sell 450,000 units this year. We are right on track," CAMPI President Rommel R. Gutierrez told reporters on the sidelines of the First ASEAN EV and Hybrid Summit in Pasay City.

CAMPI counts as members BAIC-Universal Motors Corp., BMW-Asian Carmakers Corp., Isuzu Philippines Corp., and KIA-Columbian Autocar Corp.

Other members include Mazda-Berjaya Auto Philippines Inc., Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corp., Nissan Philippines Inc., Toyota Motor Philippines Corp., and Volkswagen-Auto Central Enterprise Inc.

"We are halfway. Based on the target, we will be able to meet the initially set target for the year," Gutierrez said.

According to the latest available data from the CAMPI, the local automotive industry registered a 23-percent sales growth in the first quarter after reaching sales of 94,026 units during the period.

"This is a very decent figure. Perhaps the Philippines is the only country registering a positive figure in terms of growth," Gutierrez said. — MDM, GMA News