STA. ROSA, Laguna — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Tuesday received 35 brand new vehicles from Toyota Motors Philippines (TMP) as the Japanese manufacturer marked its 35th anniversary in the country with the donation to the government.

The 35 Toyota vehicles that were donated to the Office of the President are as follows:

• 10 Hi-ace ambulances
• 5 Vios
• 5 Innova
• 5 Lite-ace pick up
• 5 Lite-ace cargo
• 3 Yaris
• 2 coaster mobile clinic

“We have to recognize the contributions that Toyota Motors Philippines has brought to the Philippines,” Marcos told reporters after looking around Toyota’s manufacturing plant in Laguna.

“Yung mga tao natin, Filipino employees, who have come to work with Toyota have been highly trained and are also steep with the Japanese production… extremely efficient in the production of high-value products,” he said.

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“We are always talking about the transformation of the Philippines. We have always seen Toyota as a partner in the development of the Philippines,” he said.

“These are partnerships that will benefit not only the Philippines but also our partners in Japan,” he added.

The Toyota Group has invested a total of P73.7 billion since it started its operations in the Philippines in 2000, TMP chairman Alfred Ty said in a statement.

“We request your continued support to the auto industry, not only for vehicle manufacturing but to the entire supply chain, especially our domestic parts supplier,” the statement read.

“With more conducive government policies, Toyota Aisin Philippines and other local part-makers can expand and do so much more in our country to help generate more jobs for Filipinos,” he said.

As of December last year, 3,742 workers were employed in TMP, while 71,000 others are affiliated with TMP’s suppliers and dealers.

The company has been producing around 54,000 units of Vios and Innova units annually in the Philippines, according to data from TMP.

Earlier this year, TMP announced that it plans to invest P4.4 billion to revive the Tamaraw model in the Philippines.

While the “new generation Tamaraw” will not yet be commercially available this year, the manufacturer had said that it is expected to look like a “utility van.”

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Video from RTVM